Avaliação da Acessibilidade do Parque Durante o Brincar de Crianças com Paralisia Cerebral na Escola

Abstract

ABSTRACT:In the school context, the playground is an important place for children to participate in recreational activities. Through play, children acquire knowledge, they develop skills and abilities, they can feel pleasure and express their feelings. However, for the playground to promote the development of children, it must be accessible and safe for all children, including those with disabilities. The aim of this research was to evaluate the accessibility of a school playground of Early Childhood Education and also to analyse the participation of children with cerebral palsy in recreational activities developed in it. The participants were three children with cerebral palsy, from four to six years old, from a school of Early Childhood Education in a municipality of São Paulo -Brazil. Data collection was divided into two stages: 1) evaluation of the accessibility of the playground using the Protocol for evaluation of physical accessibility in Early Childhood Education schools; 2) observation of children with cerebral palsy during play activities in the playground. It was noted that the playground is not accessible for children with cerebral palsy. However, they participated in activities with the help of teachers and caregivers. The lack of adequate recreational equipment may have hindered the best performance of the children in school playground activities. It is necessary to educate professionals to increase the participation of children during play activities and to adequate the playground, making it accessible and safe for all children, as it is proposed by the Universal Design.KEYWORDS: Special Education. Playground. Cerebral Palsy. Accessibility. RESUMO: no contexto escolar, o parque infantil é um local importante para as crianças participarem de atividades lúdicas. Por meio das brincadeiras, as crianças adquirem conhecimentos, desenvolvem habilidades e capacidades, conseguem ter prazer e expressar seus sentimentos. Entretanto, para que o parque infantil possa favorecer o desenvolvimento das crianças, ele precisa estar acessível e seguro para todas as crianças, inclusive para aquelas com deficiência. O objetivo deste estudo foi o de avaliar a acessibilidade de um parque de uma escola de Educação Infantil e analisar a participação dos alunos com paralisia cerebral nas atividades lúdicas desenvolvidas nele. Participaram três crianças com paralisia cerebral, de quatro a seis anos, de uma escola de Educação Infantil de um município do interior do estado de São Paulo. A coleta de dados foi dividida em duas etapas: 1) avaliação da acessibilidade do parque infantil utilizando o Protocolo para avaliação da acessibilidade física em escolas de Educação Infantil; 2) observação das crianças com paralisia cerebral nas atividades lúdicas do parque infantil. Notou-se que o parque escolar não se encontra acessível para as crianças com paralisia cerebral; no entanto, estas participaram das atividades com o auxílio de professores e cuidadores. A falta de adequação nos equipamentos recreativos pode ter dificultado o melho...

An investigation of the quality of pretend play ability in children with cerebral palsy

“…The motor disorders of children with CP limit playing as the patterns of gripping and adjusting an object in their hands may be inadequate to handle toys, limiting the play interactions (Ferland, ). Despite this they present curiosity, pleasure, and initiative, having interested in any play, although they may need specific resources to facilitate the play in the natural environment (Rocha, Desidério & Massaro, ).…”

A Scoping Review of Evidence-Informed Recommendations for Designing Inclusive Playgrounds

“…The diverse play opportunities that can emerge within playgrounds make these spaces a unique setting where children can choose when, where (i.e., in relation to specific equipment), and how to interact with others while playing together or sharing the play space. Although children with disabilities value playgrounds as play spaces (9,17,21), playground designs often do not provide them with equal and equitable access to play opportunities (9,10,12,13,15,16). Hence, children with disabilities can face numerous barriers when trying to access playground play.…”

“…In addition to issues concerning playground surfaces and elevated play structures, the play components (e.g., slides, merrygo-rounds) themselves are often inaccessible. In fact, adapted play components that enable children with physical disabilities to fully and safely engage in playground play (e.g., slides that can be accessed via ramps, wheel-on merry-go-rounds) remain largely absent from playgrounds (9,10,14,15,17). Many playgrounds also lack sensory-based play components that may promote active engagement among children with developmental disabilities, such as tactile play components that offer different textures to touch and manipulate, or musical play components that produce a variety of sounds and vibrations (25,26).…”

“…Paths wide enough for two wheelchairs to move sideby-side have been recommended (42). While existing accessibility standards (e.g., ADA Standards for Accessible Design) mandate the availability of accessible pathways, playground audits indicate accessible pathways are uncommon (11,15,39), and in cases where accessible paths are present, they are often too narrow (12).…”

“…Playgroundsdefined in this article as constructed play areas that contain traditional play equipment (e.g., swings, slides, merry-go-rounds) on the ground as well as structures built with paths to and between elevated play equipment (8)-are omnipresent within the landscape design of these spaces and constitute a significant part of the overall play experience available to children. Unfortunately, playgrounds also represent an environment where children with disabilities experience barriers to accessing play (9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16). Although playgrounds are designed to provide children with an array of opportunities to engage in different types of play, the designs are frequently informed by normative understandings of children's bodies, mobilities, and abilities that do not adequately account for the presence of childhood disability.…”