Disabled parents can't get close enough to supervise their children, and disabled children are met with few options for play. Pictured here is Kamo Playground. Photo / Tania Whyte
Disabled parents can't get close enough to supervise their children, and disabled children are met with few options for play. Pictured here is Kamo Playground. Photo / Tania Whyte
Whangārei and its surrounding areas have been seeing playground developments recently, but it’s the wider issue of accessibility that has some talking.
Glen McMillan, CEO of Northland-based charity Children with Disability NZ, believes accessibility is an afterthought when playgrounds are designed, and wants to see more funding allocated to it.
“Every child should have the opportunity to explore and play in the community; playgrounds are the obvious place. But often, the disabled community is not considered in playground design,” he said.
“It’s far better to incorporate equipment into the planning and construction of a new playground than to make it an afterthought. And why shouldn’t we be making more inclusive playgrounds?”
Children with Disability was founded so that members of the disabled community could fundraise for a wheelchair swing to be put in at Waipū, which was opened two weeks ago.
A Givealittle page raised much of the funds for the swing, with Whangārei District Council contributing to the rest, but McMillan said it’s simply not enough.
“We think more budget should be allocated for these initiatives, and more people should be aware that all playgrounds need to be inclusive.
“The lack of inclusive equipment available to those with disabilities is obvious to the disabled community, but it seems the able-bodied community does not see these issues.”
A new playground for Raumanga Scenic Reserve was announced by the council two weeks ago in a bid to provide families with a play area within a 10-minute walking radius of the city.
The plan is to begin construction in June and complete the work within three to four months.
Featured will be an accessible toilet, pathway and picnic table. A wheelchair-friendly see-saw is to be installed, but only if Children with Disability reach their fundraising goal of around $10,000.
The plan for a new playground at Raumanga Scenic Reserve includes a wheelchair see-saw. Photo / Whangārei District Council
The council said though there were requests for more accessible play options when consulting with the local community, the cost is too great.
“Fully accessible playgrounds cost significantly more than the standard community playgrounds,” a council spokesperson said.
“The usual community playground in Whangārei includes bark soft-fall. The cost is mostly due to the work required to supply and install accessible soft-fall matting. Accessible matting costs approximately 10 times more than standard bark soft-fall over its lifespan. Community playgrounds, like the one proposed at the Raumanga Valley Reserve, do not usually have the budget available for this.”
Founding member of Children with Disability, Kylee Ostermann, said it can be “confronting” when there aren’t many options available for the disabled community.
The single mother of 11-year-old Alex, who is wheelchair-bound, said it can be “disheartening” turning up to a playground, hoping to play. Often she ends up feeling “isolated”.
“You stop attempting to go to playgrounds,” she said. “Even disabled adults can still have that mindset of a child; they still want to play.”
Basket swings are inaccessible for someone like Ostermann, who would have to lift the wheelchair over a large lip on her own. She also pointed out that disabled parents with a toddler aren’t able to get close enough to supervise their children.
Disabled parents can't get close enough to supervise their children, and disabled children are met with few options for play. Pictured here is Kamo Playground. Photo / Tania Whyte
Most playgrounds in Northland need updating in order to provide wheelchair access. Pictured here is Kensington Park Playground. Photo / Tania Whyte
Currently, out of approximately 25 playgrounds in central Whangārei, just two offer accessible options.
Pohe Island Adventure Playground features a wheelchair-friendly trampoline, an accessible carousel, a raised sandpit for children in wheelchairs and lower percussion instruments that are easily accessible.
The Town Basin playground featured an accessible roundabout. Ostermann believes more options are needed.
Kylee Ostermann and son Alex testing out the accessibility of Whangārei's playgrounds in 2021. Photo / Michael Cunningham
“Whangārei is the biggest city in Northland. Why not have something that people who live in Kaikohe, Kawakawa and the Bay of Islands can use?”
“We are a growing population,” she said. “We do have a special needs school in the Whangārei area, so it makes sense to provide something.”
Bush walks, kicking a ball around and using a tennis court are often not available options, and Ostermann said she is frequently left with “very few options”.
