Children with disabilities are facing difficulty accessing vital play opportunities due to ‘severe restrictions’
The deafblind charity SENSE have released a report of children living with disabilities and have identified failings at every level result in missed opportunities for children with disabilities. The report follows a three month public inquiry of 175 families that have children with disabilities, aged from birth to five years in England and Wales, in response to parents’ concerns that they had few opportunities to access play services and settings.
Accessing play is vital for children with multiple needs and their families, supporting their development and emotional well-being, yet according to the study carried out by SENSE parents and children are often facing many barriers in achieving this such as a lack of government funding at a local level. The majority of parents reported difficulties in accessing mainstream play groups and local play opportunities.
The report also revealed that 92 per cent of parents felt their child did not have the same opportunities to play as children living without a disability. The majority of parents reported difficulties in accessing mainstream play groups and local play opportunities and 40 per cent of parents said that additional financial costs were a major barrier to accessing play opportunities. Families also felt there is a lack of specialist support that can be accessed locally, with many having to make long journeys to access play appropriate settings.
Play is critical in improving outcomes for children and their families, however the report makes it clear that children with additional and multiple needs are often missing out on these opportunities and the access to services
SENSE is hoping to use the results from this study to change the way play services are designed and delivered, whilst planning to produce a series of tool kits to support parents and providers. It is hoped that local and national policy makers, as well as play professionals, reflect on the recommendations, and make the necessary changes that will make access to play a reality for all children.
The full report can be accessed at www.sense.org.uk/play