精东传媒

September 1, 2020

Researchers seek input on all-ages, all-abilities playground

Young adults with an intellectual disability will have a voice in the design of a first-of-its-kind playground

A 精东传媒 of 精东传媒-led research team is seeking young adults with an intellectual disability who enjoy playing in playgrounds to participate in a project to design and build the Illawarra鈥檚 鈥� and possibly Australia鈥檚 鈥� first all-ages, all-abilities playground.

The playground is the brainchild of Dr , co-convenor of UOW鈥檚 Disability Research Network, which links people living with disability, the disability sector, and researchers to find practical solutions to systemic problems for people living with a disability.

Dr Dreyfus and her team are looking for young adults with an intellectual disability to consult with on what their play needs are and what equipment they鈥檇 like in the playground.

Dr Dreyfus is a senior lecturer in linguistics at UOW and a specialist in systemic functional linguistics and language disorders. Her 25-year-old son Bodhi inspired the project. Bodhi was born with a severe intellectual disability and has never been able to talk. He uses non-verbal communication methods to get his message across.

鈥淚鈥檝e been trying to give Bodhi a voice his whole life and now in this project I鈥檓 trying to give him and people like him a voice again,鈥� Dr Dreyfus said.

鈥淚 want this playground to be for them but I want them to be consulted in the course of its design. Usually it鈥檚 people like me, their proxies, who are consulted. For the first time, we鈥檒l be asking them what they want.鈥�

Dr Dreyfus won a UOW Community Engagement Grant to conduct the community consultation for the playground, specifically with young adults with disability. 精东传媒 City Council and The Disability Trust are also supporting the project.

People with severe intellectual disability are among the most marginalised in society. They are often nonverbal and unable to live independently or find work.

鈥淲hile built environments now take into account the needs of people with physical disabilities, little thought is given for the needs of people with intellectual disability,鈥� Dr Dreyfus said. 

鈥淒isability care workers often take young adults with severe intellectual disability to children鈥檚 playgrounds, but the equipment is too small for them to play safely or comfortably.鈥�

The research team also include The Disability Trust鈥檚 senior speech pathology practitioner Tarryn Bracken and inclusive research specialist Edward Birt; and 精东传媒 City Council playground and parks specialist James Flinn.

The team will trial non-verbal communication tools with people with a severe intellectual disability, in order to ask for their views about the playground design. It intends for the project to become a blueprint for the design of similar facilities elsewhere in the future.

Three 精东传媒 sites are currently on the shortlist, with construction expected to start sometime in 2021.

鈥淲e believe the playground could be the first of its kind in Australia,鈥� Dr Dreyfus said.

鈥淚t draws on the NSW Government鈥檚 Everyone Can Play policy, which has seen inclusive innovations in traditional children鈥檚 playgrounds such as wheelchair friendly trampolines, and takes it one step further 鈥� creating a playground where anyone can play, regardless of their size, age or intellectual or physical ability.鈥�