Inclusive Play Policies: Disabled Children And Their Access To Dutch Playgrounds

Abstract

Despite the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, many cities are still struggling to facilitate inclusive playgrounds. This paper contributes to our understanding of the everyday landscapes of disabled childhood, by investigating the play-policy of Dutch municipalities via a mixed-methods approach. Our online survey reveals that 90 per cent have a play-policy, although the length and content of these documents vary extensively, and accessibility and inclusive play are often lacking. Additionally, we focus on the play-policy of two municipalities in the east of the Netherlands. Interviews with civil servants, play professionals and families with disabled children show that municipalities willingly respond to parents’ requests for playground changes. Though resulting in tailor-made adjustments, this also configures disability as an individual problem. Parents and policy-makers also highlight different expectations regarding playground adjustments and investments. The paper therefore calls for open communication to avoid disabled children being involuntarily absent in public space.