I am thrilled to share that all future renovations and redesigns of playgrounds in Tandridge will include accessible and inclusive equipment and environments, as my motion to ensure playgrounds in Tandridge are inclusive and accessible was supported by all parties at the Community Services Committee meeting of Tandridge District Council on Tuesday 17 January.
I feel passionately about this as I feel accessibility should be a right and not a luxury.
Scope found as part of their Let's Play Fair campaign that 1 in 2 families of children with limited mobility face accessibility problems with their local playground and 1 in 10 parents of children with limited mobility said their child got hurt using inaccessible equipment. This is incredibly sad as every child regardless of neurodivergence, long-term health condition or mobility issues should be able to go to play with friends and forge friendships that will last a lifetime. Investing in accessible playgrounds will also create a more inclusive society.
Parents have told Scope that the playgrounds they use were not designed with children with special needs in mind, creating barriers such as:
Lack of inclusive and accessible playground equipment
Inaccessible pathways and tight spaces
Challenging and uneven terrain
All of these barriers limit choice and the right to play for children with limited mobility. I am glad that after the Community Services Committee agreed to support my motion, we are able to move in the direction of removing these barriers, make our play areas more accessible and end the inequality faced by children with limited mobility.
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