‘Every child should have an equal right to play’ says charity Scope

A child in a wheelchair looks on at a playground — Photo: Scope

New research from the disability equality charity Scope released today, at the start of the Easter school holidays, shows that half of local playgrounds aren’t accessible for disabled children. Meanwhile, only 1 in 10 playgrounds were likely to be accessible for disabled children.

Scope’s UK-wide investigation of more than 1000 playgrounds found that most had little or no accessible equipment, with some even having features that could be unsafe for disabled children, like no fencing around the playground or uneven floor surfaces*.

The findings come from parents, guardians and relatives of disabled children who surveyed their local playgrounds – using guidance from Scope and scoring them against a checklist of good practice and features.

The resulting ‘Playground Accessibility Map’ shows what families of disabled children can expect from playgrounds across the UK. It shows things like whether the front gate is wide enough for wheelchairs, or if children can only get onto play equipment using steps. It will be a helpful tool for families of disabled children as they seek out places to play.

Research carried out by Scope last year found:

One in ten (11 per cent) said their disabled child hurt themselves because of inaccessible equipment
One in seven (13 per cent) could not enjoy the playground as a family because siblings were unable to play together [2]

The interactive map and research are part of the disability equality charity Scope’s ‘Let’s Play Fair’ campaign calling for all new and refurbished playgrounds to be made with disabled children in mind. In response, the Government recently said in its Disability Action Plan it will explore creating guidance on how to develop more inclusive and accessible playgrounds.

Scope, along with the charity PiPA Play, want these guidelines to become mandatory.

Becky Maddern – a director at PiPA Play – and mum to 9-year-old Benjamin, who has cerebral palsy, epilepsy and is Registered Blind, said: “Benjamin loves going to the playground. He enjoys being with people and chatting to them. He knows if he is at the playground as he can hear the swings, and always wants to be included.

“As he can’t support himself, we used to put him on the toddler swing. But one day he got stuck and this was the defining moment for me, when I realised that as a family, we would be unable to continue to access and enjoy our local play park.

“So, I started campaigning to my local parish and council, and now a number of our local playgrounds has been transformed to be so much more accessible.”

James Taylor, Director of Strategy at Disability Equality Charity Scope, said: “Every child should have an equal right to play. Yet many disabled children can’t enjoy their local playground because it isn’t designed for them. Leaving them and their families divided and excluded. It isn’t right that disabled children are shut out.

“We’ve developed our Playground Accessibility Map to be used as a tool for campaigners to explain the local need for more accessible equipment in their playgrounds.

“It can also be used for families to see where their nearest accessible playground is, to avoid the disappointment of turning up at a playground, only for there to be no equipment they can play on.

“Inclusive playgrounds should be available across the UK, where all children, disabled and non-disabled, can be themselves and form memories that last a lifetime.”

The Playground Accessibility Map can be viewed here: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1EP2ocqFfam8QPygsH4zZa74f-mlocTY&ll=58.50550453917609%2C13.71436824659645&z=4

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