Inclusive Playgrounds Are a Good Idea for All

Inclusive playgrounds ensure that all children can play together regardless of ability — and parents, grandparents and caregivers can play, too.

Jerry watched his son Aidan clamor over the jungle gym.

“Look, Daddy! I can climb!”

Kylie, Aidan’s older sister, also waved from the top of the jungle gym. Jerry’s smile broadened. “How’s the weather up there, Kylie?”

She squealed with delight. “Good! Now I come down.”

Kylie maneuvered her wheelchair to the ramp and rolled herself back to ground level. The soft mats underfoot provided just enough resistance so that Kylie could propel herself back to where her parents waited. Aidan slid down the chute and landed at his father’s feet, grinning, as his sister clapped.

“Can we get ice cream now?” Kylie asked.

A typical Sunday afternoon at the park, forever transformed for this family thanks to the addition of inclusive playground equipment. Inclusive equipment isn’t a new concept but one that is taking hold thanks to a growing awareness that both differently-abled children and adults need to play, too.

When I was growing up, the local town playground featured hard packed dirt surfaces pockmarked with tufts of hard, wire-sharp grass. Today’s playgrounds are very similar to the ones I recall from my childhood decades ago but with the swap of thick sand for the hard-packed dirt and weeds. While such footing may protect against injuries from tumbles off the monkey bars, it also acts as a barrier for children, parents, and grandparents to enter the play area if they need mobility aids such as canes, walkers, or wheelchairs.

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