Inclusion by Design

Inclusion by Design cover image 04.03.08

Inclusion by Design - New KIDS publication launched at the Playwork Inclusion Project’s (PIP) Annual Conference

KIDS, the Disabled children and young people’s charity, is has produced a new publication, ‘Inclusion by Design’, on designing accessible and inclusive play settings.

In the wake of the government’s announcement to fund new and refurbished playgrounds and play parks that need to be accessible to Disabled children, Kevin Brennan MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children, Young People and Families, in his foreword says of the publication “its can-do attitude to how physical environments can be made not just accessible but truly inclusive is refreshing. I warmly welcome it as an important contribution to how our investment can be used.”

Inclusion by Design was launched at KIDS Playwork Inclusion Project’s annual conference, on 26th February in Birmingham, by Adrian Voce, Director of Play England. Speaking at the conference, Voce said: “This book is essential reading for all authorities accessing this funding and for everyone committed to adventurous, imaginative play spaces where differences between Disabled and non-Disabled children are less significant than their shared childhoods and their common right to play with their friends and peers.”

Voce continued: “The best play settings are genuinely inclusive. Where all children are enabled to have fun and play together, the real causes of disability - physical and cultural barriers - dissolve. This blurring of 'Disabled' and 'non-Disabled' distinctions can have a hugely positive impact on children's lives, but takes real commitment and understanding on the part of designers and providers. ‘Inclusion by Design’ couldn’t be more timely.”

Packed with stunning photographs demonstrating good practice in inclusive design, this publication is aimed at planners, designers and all play, leisure and childcare providers who want to produce aesthetically pleasing, functional environments that provide choice and opportunity for all.

One of the most basic entitlements shared by all children and young people is the right to play and have fun, and new levels of government funding now offer the opportunity to make a real difference. This was the key message that emerged out of the PIP conference, ‘Aiming Higher for Inclusive Play’. The conference also saw the launch of a new KIDS Briefing ‘Aiming Higher for Inclusive Play’. The briefing and the book are now available for sale through KIDS National Development Department.

If you would like to purchase a copy please email publications.ndd@kids.org.uk or phone 0207 3593073