User:Tealexus/Adaptive Playgrounds

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Adaptive Playgrounds

We are Totally Committed to:

Those who would love to compete, But are given no appropriate opportunities; Those who could compete; If only the distance were shorter, the basket lower, or the equipment lighter; Those who do not express their thoughts and feelings in the same manner as most; Those who have difficulty processing and remembering All of the rules and regulations given so quickly;

We are Totally Committed to:

Those who are fleet of foot; But know not where or when to stop; Those who are made to feel “different,” Because of the way they walk, talk, or act….

-Michael Marsallo (cited in Block, 2000, p. 22)

Physical activity is an important part of childhood. Hausmann (2006), an early childhood educator, states, “Children who engage in regular, active outdoor play have a decreased risk of obesity, fewer tendencies toward aggressive behavior, and better concentration and coordination.” (paragraph 2) City parks are location where children are able to engage in outdoor play with peers. When a child has access to a city park, that child has the opportunity to develop critical social and motor skills. Unfortunately, many children with special motor needs do not have access to their neighborhood parks. The parks were not built with their needs in mind, and as a result, the equipment is not accessible to them. In this paper I will discuss why it is important for children with special motor needs to have access to outdoor play spaces. Additionally, I will highlight the adaptive playground at Beverly Turner Park in Irvington, New Jersey and explore the design elements that make the park accessible. One clear way that children benefit from outdoor play is through increased motor skill and improved physical health. This is no different for children who have special motor needs. Block (2000), a professor of kinesiology, states that “physical activity reduces the risk of premature mortality in general, and of coronary heart disease, hypertension, colon cancer, and diabetes mellitus in particular….and is important for the health of muscles, bones, and joints.” (p. 7) Children with special motor needs deserve places where they can be active both for their future health and their present strength. Madley (1999) writes about two parents of several children with special needs who built an adaptive play space in their backyard and saw the short term benefits to their children. “8-year-old [sic] Shanika, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheel chair, has benefited from the rings because they build her upper body strength. Bethany, 6, who has fetal alcohol syndrome and has poor muscle tone, has shown marked improvements in mobility.” (paragraph 5) These sorts of physical improvements can lead to increased self esteem and a desire to maintain an active lifestyle. Outdoor play provides for more than just increased motor activity. “There are also opportunities for emotional development as children test their limits and challenge themselves to try things that may be just at the edge of their reach. Their success leads to feelings of accomplishment and positive self-esteem.” (Strickland, 2002, paragraph 3) The opportunity to test one’s physical limits may be especially important to a child who has certain motor difficulties. Playing in an outdoor space that is accessible, creates an opportunity for the child to learn what she or he is capable of doing. When the environment is adapted so that it does not interfere, the child can focus on what she or he can do rather than what she or he can’t do. If a playground environment is adapted so that the child can access it without the direct help of others, the child is able to be more autonomous. Autonomy is important for children. Prezza, Pilloni, Morabito, Sersante, Alparone, and Giuliani (2001) state, “it has been shown that autonomy of movement favours [sic] spatial and environmental abilities and constitutes a resource for the child to counterbalance the dominance of adults….” (p. 437) Children with physical disabilities are at greater risk of being dominated by the adults in their lives. The opportunity to access outdoor play equipment independently can go a long way towards developing a sense of autonomy within a child. Unfortunately, traditional playgrounds are not freely used by all children. For example, playgrounds that are covered in gravel are not accessible to children who use wheelchairs or walkers to get around. Climbing equipment that is high off of the ground and does not have a ramp excludes the same children and any other children who have difficulty climbing. Some children with low muscle tone are unable to ride on traditional swings because it requires too much muscle strength to hold oneself on the swing. These are a few examples of ways that traditional playgrounds exclude some children. The good news is that there are adaptations that can be made to make play equipment accessible to more children. The Beverly Turner Park in Irvington, New Jersey is one example of a playground that is accessible to children with special motor needs. The entrance to the playground’s climber is a low-grade ramp which allows for children in wheelchairs and walkers and young children who are pre-walking to use it. From this low space, a child can reach two different steering wheels and two tic-tac-toe games. The playground area is covered with synthetic turf that appears to be wheelchair friendly. In addition to the climber, the swing area and a basketball court have been made accessible. The swing area has three different types of swings, including; two traditional rectangular-seat swings, a small toddler swings, and two large chair swings. One of the chair swings includes a strap and a head rest which can be useful for children who are unable to hold themselves up or support their necks while swinging. The basketball court is on the same level as the sidewalk and thus is accessible to people in wheelchairs. Additionally, the height of both basketball hoops is adjustable. The mechanisms used to adjust the height are low enough that a small person, child, or person in a wheelchair would be able to reach it. The basketball hoops lower to a few feet off of the ground. As a testament to the increased access that having lower hoops provide, a full court of school-age children were playing basketball together when I visited. They would not have had the same level of success playing at full-sized hoops. The adaptations described above do not impede the use of the park by children who are typically developing. In fact, it is possible to visit the park without noticing that the equipment had been designed to be accessible. The design creates the opportunity for many children of different ages and abilities to play together. This sort of design has been termed “Universal Design.” Rose and Meyer (2002), in their book about how to implement Universal Design in an educational setting, state, “…the idea behind universal design in architecture is to create structures that are conceived, designed, and constructed to accommodate the widest spectrum of users, including those with disabilities, without the need for subsequent adaptation or specialized design.” (p. 70)  The park is usable by most children exactly as it is. When children with special needs do not need additional accommodations to use the park, they are able to play without being reminded of the ways in which they are different. The creators of the Beverly Turner Park successfully developed a community play space that is usable by a diverse population of children. Young and old children of various abilities can find ways to play in the same space with the same equipment. Each child is able to exercise her or his body while creating important social bonds with her or his peers. All children deserve this experience. All of the children of Irvington can now have access to the benefits of active, outdoor play thanks to those who were “totally committed.”

Block, M.E. (2000). A teacher’s guide to including students with disabilities in general physical education (2nd ed.). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.

Eric Strickland, Ph.D. on exploring the benefit of outdoor play. (2002, May). Early Childhood Today, p. 44. Retreived June 6, 2006 from Ebsco database.

Hausmann, S. (2006, May). Take it outside. Scholastic Parent and Child. Retrieved June 10, 2006 from Ebsco database.

Madley, R.H. (1999, May). Something for everyone. The Exceptional Parent, p. 38. Retrieved June 4, 2006 from Proquest Direct database.

Prezza, M., Pilloni, S., Morabito, C., Sersante, C., Alparone, F.R., & Giulinau, M.V. (2001). The influence of psychosocial and environmental factors on children’s independent mobility and relationship to peer frequentation. Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, 11(6) 435-450. Retrieved June 10, 2006 from Ebsco Academic Search Premier database.

Rose, D.H. & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design for learning. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.