Persons with special needs are often overlooked in our society. For a long time this population was viewed negatively, often under the strict impression that they were incapable of contributing meaningfully to society. They were destined to be dependents of the state or forever inclined to charitable contribution. They were often segregated from society in institutions, incapable of ever learning how to function in the greater whole. One such area in which their neglect was especially great was in recreation. Often times play areas do not illicit feelings of joy among the special needs population because of their unadaptable nature.
This issue arouses my passion because I have worked with special needs students and I have seen the same desires and wants in them as in any other human being. Children especially want to belong and know that they are valuable. They want the same things as other children. As children, a major aspect of their development is having the ability to engage in play. This means that the parks and playgrounds on school property should be adapted to meet their play activities as well. After all, including people with special needs fully into all features of society is a goal worthy of pursuit. (Smith, Kennedy, Austin, Lee and Hutchison, 2011). Without play, these children are denied the opportunity to forge friendships and learn about human interaction. These are valuable skills that are needed for their social development.
The social change that is needed is a change in playground apparatus so that special needs students with physical disabilities can more easily engage in diversion during the school day. Recent legislation added to the Americans with disabilities act mandates that playgrounds open to the public have appropriate equipment and designs suitable for special needs children so that they too can have fair chances to play.
However, leadership is greatly needed to guide this issue along because the cost of building a playground for special needs children can be out of the reach of most local municipalities and school districts (Benincasa, 2013). In most cases, parents and community are the driving forces behind the creation of these all-inclusive playgrounds, doing bake sales, garage sales and involving the community in many types of fundraising. Leadership roles begin at the local level. Educating neighbors, teachers, parents and other community members about the importance of adapting playground equipment to meet the needs of our special needs population is the first step in furthering awareness. Locally, there needs to be an assessment of current playground conditions and an inventory of tasks needs to be taken into account (Stockton, 2013). Meetings with school boards and city councils need to take place to discuss options on how to proceed with such a project.
Lastly, advocating for children with special needs is a worthwhile pursuit because it is a transformative exercise that will have a lasting impact on the lives of these children. The community at large must be a part of the process to enact social change. Volunteering to fundraise and posting updates on social media is a great way to advocate for change.
Making playgrounds accessible to special needs students will change the life of a child and help him or her develop social skills that will benefit all of a humanity. Educating the community will build compassion for our fellow human beings and bring people close together in filling a social need. Volunteering to help make this endeavor a reality will instill a sense of purpose and hold the community accountable to those who need our advocacy the most.
References
Benincasa, R. (2013, August 27). For Kids With Special Needs, More Places To Play. Retrieved August 30, 2016, from http://www.npr.org/2013/08/27/213827534/for-kids-with-special-needs-more-places-to-play
Smith, R. W., Austin, D. R., Kennedy, D. W., & Kennedy, D. W. (1996). Inclusive and special
recreation: Opportunities for persons with disabilities. Madison, WI: Brown &
Benchmark.
Stockton, H. (2013, October 11). Playgrounds unwelcoming to disabled children. Retrieved August 30, 2016, from http://publicsource.org/investigations/playgrounds-unwelcoming-disabled-children#.V8ZNc_krLIU
