Inclusive playgrounds: concerted efforts for children with disabilities in Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT

Inclusion and play are rights for all children to achieve integrated growth (United Nations, 2006. United Nations convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities-2.html, arts. 24, 30). Saudi Arabia has taken a clear position to advocate for children with disabilities to make these documented rights a reality. However, few inclusive playgrounds align with the research and the Saudi trends. Children who are not able to receive the full advantages of play due to having a disability that makes playgrounds inaccessible need to gain the attention of decisionmakers. This article focuses on Saudi Arabia as a case study of a country attempting to provide inclusive playgrounds. Saudi Vision 2030 calls to start where the other countries have ended. This article synergizes relevant experience from other countries to influence community developers. The article includes recommendations and resources regarding developing a process for planning inclusive playgrounds.

KEYWORDS:

• Inclusive playgrounds
• playgrounds
• recreation
• disabilities

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes on contributor

Aeshah Alsarawi is a professor in the Special Education Program at Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University. Her Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate Degree are in Special Education. Her areas of interests are learning disabilities, inclusion, teacher preparation, and collaboration between special and general education teachers. She has experience in teaching students with disabilities in inclusive schools in the United States.