Surprised by Accessibility

[PennyChristie]

NOT MY PHOTO

Liberty Wheelchair Swing - designed and manufactured in Australia.

Photo used as a reference only. Taken from Assistive Technology Australia website.

As part of our advocacy, #OneAccesibility, we will share information about differently able and profile one location with accessible trails. Look out every week for this enlightening post.

In the month of October, we are focusing on something or someplace that surprised you in terms of inclusive features. Something innovative and out of this world perhaps. Something that surprised me many years ago was in a local park near my home. I noticed a new feature being installed along with the other play equipment. Upon closer inspection, I realised it was a special swing for wheelchairs. This made me so happy because swinging at the park was one of my most favourite activities as a child. I was so happy knowing that children in wheelchairs can experience that same joy.

According to Local Guides on Google Maps, Sydney has a few of these swings scattered around the city and surrounding suburbs. One close to me is in Centennial Parklands which has a wheelchair swing at the Centennial Playground Paddington Gates

The Liberty Swing, which I have pictured above, was designed and manufactured in Australia in 2000 and placed in parks around Australia. However, more was need to be done to make everyone feel equal and included in the park.

These days, parks are being designed to be more inclusive to everyone’s needs, young and old, and you will find a lot more variety of inclusive play equipment for all ages.

Here are a couple of awesome websites which give you some information about these inclusive parks and where to find them.

Inclusive playground designs go beyond wheelchair swings so everyone can play

ENDEAVOUR PARK – ACCESSIBLE PLAYGROUND SYDNEY

Have Wheelchair Will Travel

Does your city have any Inclusive playgrounds or equipment?

What is something that has surprised you in terms of inclusive features?

Let me know in the comments below.

[ravindus]

@PennyChristie , WoW Im also surprised to see this swing. I haven’t seen this yet in a park in Sri Lanka. These kind of little things could mean a world to someone.I would surely share under this topic when I come across such great accessibility features that we usually don’t think of.

Thanks for sharing this article.

[ShafiulB]

@PennyChristie Wow! Its a big message for the future wheelchair user community. Thanks for sharing such a nice photo of accessibility.

Happy Guiding!

[Amiran]

That is really great @PennyChristie

In Iran, many cities are going to be more and more accessibility-friendly. We see such efforts in sidewalks, public transport, public bathrooms, and also parks. We have many parks that are designed to have accessibility options such as ramps and tactile paths. But some few ones have an accessibility-friendly playground, too.

For example in Artists Park, we have a special playground.

But one thing that one day surprised me was finding a special park that is designed exactly for accessibility and even its name refers to this. It has lots of things such as suitable bathrooms, wide paths with tactile, a special playground with such suitable swing, suitable chess tables, large pergolas, and suitable benches. It has even an office which borrow a wheelchair for people who need it. These are all things such people needs. But also one another important thing for all people and helps to be healthier is nature and this park is full of trees and plants with a fountain that created really good weather which is enjoyable for everyone.

I hope we see such accessibility options more and more in every place.

[TusharSuradkar]

That’s a really impressive swing @PennyChristie that can easily accommodate a wheelchair safely.

I have been assessing public parks in my neighborhood for accessibility and found that care has been taken to make the entrance accessible and further a paved path has been provided to enable the differently-abled people to reach the swings and other equipment using a wheelchair.

The swing-in-a-wheelchair definitely takes accessibility a notch ahead.

[Globe_trotter_Ish]

Loved this post @PennyChristie ! I personally loved swings as a kid and still enjoy them sometimes in the parks whenever I take my kid… hehe… The swing specially build for wheelchair people in Sydney looks amazing and I am glad to see how progressive and accessible friendly Sydney is ! Thanks for sharing with us !

[Julien44]

That is great @PennyChristie

This is the first time I see this kind of swing !

There should be more !

I hope you are fine!

Besos from france

[PennyChristie]

Thanks @ravindus Seeing this swing was a really nice surprise. I hope they bring them to Sri Lanka one day.

[PennyChristie]

Thanks @ShafiulB I hope to see more of these around the world

[PennyChristie]

Wow @Amiran Your description of the Special Park sounds amazing. I will be sure to have a look.

[PennyChristie]

That’s so great to see the ramps and accessible entrances into the park @TusharSuradkar It is really nice to see the city making parks accessible to everyone.

[PennyChristie]

Thanks @Globe_trotter_Ish I still love going on swings as well even though my kids are now 20 years olds HAHA

[PennyChristie]

Thank you my friend @Julien44 There should definitely be more of these accessible swings around the world.
Besos from Australia

[ErmesT]

My first thought was for you, @PennyChristie when last Saturday I added on Google Maps a playground, and I discovered in there an accessible swing.

My mind was coming immediately to this post, surprised by the fact that this playground is in Italy. Even if the concept of accessibility and inclusivity is growing up quickly in my country, the real implementation is quite slow. So it was amazing to find that swing in a small village.

[PennyChristie]

Wow @ErmesT this is a very cool find. I can’t believe you found this in a small village

[EmekaUlor]

Thanks for sharing. I have read about wheelchair swings just recently. Now, I have a clearer idea of what it looks like and the features.

[ChinonsoOnukwugha]

Australia truly moves different than other parts of the world haha. A wheelchair swing is completely new to me and I really learned something new. This is great @PennyChristie . Are these swings automatic or would it require another person to manually push the swing?

[PennyChristie]

Thanks for the question @ChinonsoOnukwugha it was a few years ago since I saw this swing but from memory I think it needed to have another person to swing it manually