Program Options for Accessible Playgrounds in Education and Pediatric Health Care Settings

Research Objectives: (1) to understand the playground programming needs and preferences of children with disabilities (CWD), their parents, and education and health care professionals
(2) to produce and share well-informed recommendations for developing playground programming options that will enhance the play, educational, and clinical experiences and ultimately improve the quality of life of CWD.

Design: We conducted a two-year qualitative study employing an action research methodology to address the underutilization of accessible playgrounds and to explore ways to better serve CWD, their families, and healthcare and educational professionals.

Setting: Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital is a leading institution dedicated to providing rehabilitation services to CWD. Additionally, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital houses an on-site school called the Bloorview School Authority with an accessible playground, making this the perfect research setting.

Participants: We used purposeful sampling from the Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital to recruit 2 CWD, 2 parents/caregivers, 5 healthcare, and 5 educational professionals who have experience using the Bloorview School Authority Playground.

Interventions: Not applicable.

Main Outcome Measures: Child/youth participants completed a draw-and-write activity. All participants were invited to participate in semi-structured interviews lasting 45-90 minutes. For child/youth participants, the interview was optional as they completed the draw-and-write activity sharing their experiences.

Results: CWD were more motivated to complete education and rehabilitation goals while on the playground. The playground environment offers an ideal setting for CWD to enjoy themselves while improving physical literacy skills and engaging in hands-on learning. Creative and nibble programming options are necessary to fully realize the playground's potential. Design changes, such as adding signage for SLPs, and a whiteboard for outdoor education, can better facilitate programming. Parents felt accessible playgrounds were not challenging enough and expressed a desire for more engaging design.

Conclusions: This study highlights the significance of programming for CWD to facilitate the achievement of rehabilitation and education goals without them realizing it. Providing CWD with varied and individualized play programs that cater to their unique interests, abilities, and goals can enhance engagement, motivation, and overall well-being.

Author(s) Disclosures: Not applicable.