Disabled children 'excluded from play'

An inquiry conducted by deaf and blind charity Sense found that there is a lack of attention by government to disabled play, insufficient funding at a local level, and also uncovered negative attitudes towards disabled children and their families.

The report calls for urgent action to address inequalities and for the Prime Minister David Cameron to deliver on his pledge in January to improve the “life chances” of all children.

The final report of the three-month inquiry reveals that 90 per cent of parents of disabled children say that their child does not have the same opportunities to access play compared with children without a disability.

Meanwhile 40 per cent of parents said that financial costs meant that it was difficult for them to access play opportunities. And 63 per cent felt that there was a lack of information about play opportunities with word of mouth taking the place of official information.

The report also highlights "negative attitudes" as an issue. The majority of parents who took part in the inquiry said that they had experienced negative attitudes towards their child from other parents, citing this as the biggest problem they have faced.

Former Labour Education Secretary Lord Blunkett, who chaired the inquiry, said play is vitally important for children with multiple needs and their families, bringing a wide range of developmental and emotional benefits.

"However, our inquiry found that all too often the parents of children with multiple needs point to barriers they face in accessing and enjoying play," he said.

"It means that disabled children don’t have the same chance to form friendships, and parents are prevented from taking a break from caring. Both disabled children and their parents are excluded from their own communities.

“I know that there is strong support across the political spectrum for addressing the findings of this report, and I look forward to working with colleagues from all parties to achieve real change for parents and families across the nation.”

Nicola Butler, chair of Play England, said the report comes at a time when local and national play services are experiencing the most severe cuts in a generation.

"Services for disabled children are often the hardest hit, making it even harder for disabled children to access the play opportunities that are their right," she added.

"Increased investment in play services and facilities including parks, public spaces, schools, play schemes and street play is vital if disabled children are to access the play they need and deserve.”