2022
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
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.
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.
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.
