‘Some kids climb up; some kids climb down’: culturally constructed play-worlds of children with impairments

Abstract

In this paper, the author explores how children with impairments can act as self-monitoring, autonomous individuals in their play in a community playground. In addition, the notion of children with impairments as creative agents in their play is examined. The evidence presented in this paper is derived from the views and perspectives of children with impairments as playground users, and was collected from the children’s photographic scrapbooks and the researcher’s own observations of children’s play in a naturalistic playground setting. The theoretical perspective for this paper draws on the emerging ‘social model of childhood disability’ and provides scope to attempt to understand the culturally constructed play-worlds of children with impairments.

Keywords:

• children with impairments
• social model of childhood disability
• childhood agency
• children’s play cultures
• playgrounds.

Acknowledgements

The author wishes to acknowledge the Australian Research Council and her industry partners in the project: VicChacc and The Lions Club of Ballarat.