Case history
“Partner states shall respect and promote the right of the child to participate fully in cultural and artistic life and shall encourage the provision of equal opportunities for recreation and leisure activities”.
Article 31 recognizes the rights of the child to engage in play, and Article 2 states that there should be no discrimination of children regardless of their disability. There is a legal and moral duty in all of us to ensure that every child, regardless of ability, can reach his or her potential through a challenge that includes awareness of risk and danger. This is accomplished by creating inclusive play spaces. The alternative is the unfair and undesirable exclusion that affects children with disabilities and their families, first in play and later in life.
The production of “Legnoland” has many virtuous aspects:
We created this project to name our desire to create inclusive playgrounds, where children with autism or disabilities and others can play together regardless of their physical and cognitive abilities.
The only initiatives in this regard are in the international arena by CEN (European Committee for Standardization) and FEPI (Federation European Play Industry) of which Legnolandia is an active member.
The purpose of the European Center for Standardization (CEN) project, is to integrate accessibility and inclusion parameters into the EN-1176 standard, which covers the safety of playgrounds, in order to make them safe and accessible to all.
In this situation of uncertainty, Legnolandia has chosen to base the development of its play areas, and the elements that make it up, following what are now the only official and European reference guidelines to ensure inclusive and safe play activities for all children.
This is why we do NOT like ghettoizing play, where children with disabilities supported only by their parents cannot have a true inclusive experience.
The invitation for those who want to have an inclusive playground is to follow these guidelines drawn up following studies and official statistical data collection involving schools, health institutions, parents, companies and municipalities throughout Europe.
An inclusive play area is a space where all children can play, move and have fun safely while interacting with each other. Individual playgrounds are designed to provide the opportunity for independent use by most children with motor, sensory (sight-hearing), cognitive, and autism disabilities.
Inclusive playgrounds and playgrounds for children with autism should have no architectural barriers so access ramps, paths suitable for the visually impaired, tactile paths, raised pools for horticulture, double-track slides are created, all designed to allow the little ones, whatever his condition, to play and learn together with their friends, siblings and parents.
So in an inclusive park not everything will be accessible to everyone. It is inevitable that some equipment or parts of it will be specifically designed not to be accessible to certain groups of children, for example for those whose age or height might pose certain risks. Children and families know this.
Wheelchairs for the disabled: Unfortunately, the absence of clear legislation in this area has created a flourishing of initiatives and “experts” who market “special” products. The classic example is the swing to be used only while sitting in a wheelchair, placed in a playground, with nothing else actually accessible. It is no guarantee of inclusion and no guarantee of safety so Legnolandia does not identify with this type of design and equipment because it is discriminatory and unsafe.
The right choice of inclusive tools to include and not divide
There are children whose disabilities are very profound or complex, those who have sensory disabilities so they cannot hear or see well, or those who have learning disabilities despite not having physical limitations. Appropriate study makes it possible to design an inclusive play area that allows children with disabilities to access play spaces together with everyone, helping them and families build relationships and promote social inclusion.
Swing that can be used exclusively by
wheelchair users and one at a time. Game NOT inclusive and dangerous if used by children who are NOT disabled. It is necessary to prohibit use without wheelchair.
Swing equipped with a large nesting basket horizontal or “high chair” for the inclusive play of several children together. Designed according to European directives on inclusive play, to entertain without divide. Art. 011250-S1 Basket Swing.
It is necessary to ensure mobility within Playgrounds and ideally the entire play area should be paved, but this is not always possible for various reasons. In these cases, it is necessary to intervene by creating paths that connect the games of the entire play area, paths that allow movement in an autonomous form. This is to ensure mobility for wheelchair users and path recognition for those who are visually impaired or blind.
We do not apply increased costs to inclusive toys because Legnolandia designs following the CEN European Guidelines. By creating inclusive equipment and games from their design there is no “disabled version” and therefore we do not apply cost surcharges. We can guarantee that an inclusive playground costs the same as any playground.
Outdoor play offers therapeutic benefits for all: it is fun, helps keep children healthy, and promotes risk awareness, an important aspect of social and emotional construction. In the past, children with disabilities did not have the same play opportunities as other children, so there has been a lack of planning and design of inclusive public play spaces suitable for all. Today it is possible to provide barrier-free inclusive play spaces for even the most important citizens: children.
With Village For All, we designed three inclusive playgrounds by selecting the equipment best suited to the needs of children. As a result, the proposed playgrounds can benefit from the “V4A Approved” label certifying that they meet inclusive accessibility parameters. Learn more
Children do not all access playgrounds in the same way, but everyone has the right to be able to play. This requires good inclusive playground design, both of the structures built into them and the spaces around them, as well as the paths that connect them. Barrier-free merry-go-rounds should be integrated with furniture, and the pavements should be easily passable with a stroller or wheelchair (wheelchair).
spazi attorno ad esse nonché alle vie di accesso.
Inclusive playground project (small)area: about 300 sq. m. |
Inclusive playground project (medium)area: about 600 sq. m. |
Inclusive playground project (large)area: about 1000 sq. m. |
First of all, specific skills and great experience are needed!
F.E.P.I. (Federation of the European Play Industry) for many years has been closely following the issue of games for children with disabilities by applying the CEN European Guidelines. The research activity is very important and consists of the collection and analysis of reports in the European context and the exchange in a Network created among Companies, Onlus in the sector, Institutions, Parents, Schools and Childhood experts.
Legnolandia, a historical component of F.E.P.I. knows very well what are the “barriers” that block access to activities for children with disabilities, with different types of disabilities and for this, adopting the European guidelines to design facilities adapted to the needs and abilities of all children, enhancing those residual skills/abilities without focusing only on the type of disability.
The result is a full range of inclusive, educational and fun playgrounds that provide equal opportunities for children through restyling, instruction and practical advice on use. In designing an inclusive park, much attention should be given to the space as a whole: the equipment, access routes, and surfaces by incorporating as many activities as possible following F.E.P.I. guidelines.
Continue… ask us for information.
Legnolandia offers free consultation of inclusive parks according to CEN guidelines.
