Inclusive play design has gained considerable attention recently. With twelve percent of the U.S. population living with some form of disability, it is crucial for playground design to incorporate facets that will appeal to all members of the community. In this, the first of five parts, we’ll cover different types of multi-sensory play experiences.
Vestibular experience - this involves movement and balance. The Accelerator Swing, Accessible Whirl, Alta-Glide, Roller Slide, and Reflex all stimulate vestibular development.
Proprioceptive - this involves body position and our ability to sense where our body parts are in space. The wide array of available climbers and overhead events we offer enable children of all abilities to experience proprioceptive input.
Tactile - this involves our ability to interpret things using our sense of touch. Our Sensory Maze is an excellent example of tactile sensations so that any child can experience the sensation of tactile input.
Auditory - this involves sound, and our musical instruments, auditory play panels, and Fun Fone offer different sounds for children to sample.
Visual - Our eyes can recognize varying colors, hues, brightness, shapes, as well as perception of depth and distance.
Take a look at your playground to confirm you’re stimulating each of the above for all levels of ability. If you need to add something you can contact us for more information. We’d love to help you improve your space!