ABSTRACT
While architects have designed playgrounds for differently-abled children for decades, no one has investigated the needs of the children and their families from their viewpoint. In 2014, a Dallas, Texas based non-profit organization, For the Love of the Lake (FTLOTL) Foundation, became aware that playgrounds in White Rock Lake Park lacked accessibility. To remedy the situation FTLOTL undertook a redesign with a novel approach, incorporating the perspectives of the children and families who would use the playground. To gather the data, an ethnographic research study led by a graduate student in the Department of Anthropology at the University of North Texas, was engaged. The researcher collected qualitative information using in-depth interviews with fourteen parents who had at least one child with a physical, social, or intellectual disability. Observations were also made of existing inclusive as well as typical playgrounds. From the data, patterns emerged which were organized into research findings. There was unanimous agreement that a universally designed playground would generate recreational, therapeutic, and emotional benefits for children along with improving the families’ quality of life and building a closely-knit community. Importantly, this research generated recommendations not just for physical accessibility, but a playground layout that would foster social inclusion. The research also contributed to anthropological research on inclusive playgrounds.
