DESIGNED AND TESTED PLAYSPACE FOR CHILDREN OF ALL-ABILITIES
27 Jul 2023
Recently Proludic collaborated with Liverpool City Council and Variety – The Children’s Charity NSW/ACT on an inclusive playground located in Lt Cantello Reserve, Hammondville. Designed to offer equality in play, the Proludic team were curious about how well the playground fostered play for children with disability, and invited Hudson, Mia, and Lincoln to test it out.
Like every child, children with disabilities want to go on adventures, play and have fun. They want to engage in the same activities as their friends, within their own capacities: climbing, jumping, running, touching, imagining… for their own benefit and to be able to share and interact with others. 
For Mia, the best features of this playspace were the ease of access, even surfaces and the Proludic play equipment she could use without a worry. The level of access at Variety Livvi’s Place Lt Cantello Reserve inclusive playground allowed her to play without barriers. Like any other child, Mia enjoys roundabouts, swings, trampolines and slides. 
Hudson had a blast at the playground! He was able to engage in many different play activities all whilst sitting in his wheelchair – his comfort zone. This meant he could be independent. 
He could also transfer out of his wheelchair and onto the play equipment at the appropriately designed points. The space between play equipment items, as well as the level wetpour rubber surface, allowed young Hudson to manoeuvre around freely and with ease. 
Hudson also enjoyed his first time on a trampoline! His mum, Dorothy, shared with Proludic that using equipment such as the inclusive trampolines, seesaw, roundabout and musical instruments whilst sitting in his wheelchair helped him to feel included and have limitless fun. 
Non-verbal pocket rocket, Lincoln, was all smiles and full of energy. The fully fenced playspace allowed him to explore, play and run freely. His mum, Stephanie, shared a beautiful testimonial with Proludic about their experience at the playground:
“Thankfully, the playground provided a well-encased space with strong handrails and soft surfaces underfoot, putting my mind at ease as Lincoln explored to his heart's content. What really impressed me was the variety of activities available for children of all ages. Lincoln is a bundle of energy, and he found endless fun in the playground's diverse play options. But his absolute favourite was the big tower slide! I couldn't get him off it. He must have gone down that slide a dozen times, laughing with joy every single time.” 
Proludic’s playground testers have shared some great insights and so have their parents. A playground is not only a place for children to connect and recreate but also for their parents. Providing seats and areas for parents to come together, connect and exchange are an essential part of an inclusive playspace. It was great to see that inclusive design in both the playspace and play equipment created more freedom and independence for everyone. 
To learn more about the Variety Livvi’s Place Lt Cantello Reserve inclusive playspace click here.
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