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Description
Public parks and playgrounds play a crucial role in fostering parent-child interaction, social inclusion, and community engagement. However, these essential recreational spaces often remain inaccessible to individuals with disabilities (Lynch et al., 2020). Research underscores the benefits of inclusive playgrounds, yet many are not designed to accommodate adults with disabilities, thus creating barriers for parents with disabilities who wish to engage with their children (Dalpra, 2022; Jacob et al., 2017). Although occupational therapy (OT) practitioners are instrumental in ensuring environmental accessibility within home settings, their involvement in the design of public spaces is limited. Young et al. (2019) advocate for the inclusion of OT professionals in the interprofessional design teams for outdoor spaces, highlighting their expertise in inclusion, development, advocacy, and education. Furthermore, increased collaboration between park planners and individuals with disabilities could enhance accessibility and usability, thereby improving participation among adults with disabilities (Perry et al., 2021). This poster will showcase an OTD capstone project advancing the Accessible Playgrounds Project by Through the Looking Glass. This initiative aims to create a publicly accessible national database of playgrounds assessed and rated for accessibility features relevant to parents and caregivers with disabilities. The capstone project comprises three main components: 1) the development of an administration manual and how-to videos for the Modified PARCs assessment; 2) advocacy with San Diego Park and Recreation department, highlighting the self-reported accessibility needs of parents with disabilities to support planning for upcoming park development; and 3) educational programming for parents with disabilities on strategies for identifying park accessibility features to support inclusive play.
Publication Date
Summer 8-2024
Publisher
University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences
Keywords
occupational therapy, community accessibility, advocacy, education, parents with disabilities
Medical Subject Headings
Parents with disabilities, Occupational therapy, Caregivers, Recreation, Disabled Persons
Disciplines
Disability and Equity in Education | Educational Leadership | Public Health
Recommended Citation
Paulo, J., Lyons-Brown, A., Frauwith, S., & Gipson Showalter, L. (2024, August 1). OT's Role in Community Accessibility at Public Parks and Playgrounds for Parents with Disabilities. Poster presented at the Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium, University of St Augustine for Health Sciences. Retrieved from https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonessummer2024/57
Included in
Disability and Equity in Education Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, Public Health Commons
Comments
Poster presented at the OTD Capstone Symposium held by the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences on August 19, 2024.