1. Play is about exploring, and from a very early age children get interested in smells, sounds and textures and want to find out more. They learn from actions and reactions: get something wet, and it changes; do something and it does something back. They have fun. But children who aren't able to sit up or crawl, or whose vision or memory is limited, face barriers that need overcoming. Things may need to be brought within reach. Outside effort might be needed to stimulate interest and maintain attention.
2. Patience, persistence, willingness to improvise and a can-do attitude are the main ingredients of success. Helping able-bodied children to understand and accept another child's impairment, eradicating adults' nervousness, and building everyone's awareness of difference will all help break down barriers. As with so many aspects of disability, the hearts and minds battle is as important as any technical or officially sanctioned way of doing things.
3. Do not obsess about specially adapted and redesigned playgrounds. An emphasis on fulfilling the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act by focusing on specialist equipment is a bad idea according to the National Playing Fields Association. It can be costly, and risks leading to playground closures or loss of equipment. Better to promote inclusive play by designing standard equipment to be more accessible to disabled children. A National Playing Fields Association guide recommends large rocking items, wide slides, swings that allow lying as well as sitting. The guide, Can Play, Will Play, can be downloaded from www.npfa.co.uk/content/playforchildren
4. The National Playing Fields Association also warns against overprotection. Disabled children need play that is exciting and challenging, it says. The safety of playgrounds should be discussed with parents and carers and the approach should be based on adventure and risk assessment. Avoid strict or overly literal interpretation of health and safety requirements.
5. Toys are expensive and families with disabled children tend to be less well off and cannot afford mistakes. But disabled children are individuals. What will suit one, will repel another and for no obvious or predictable reason. The chance to borrow toys, to check out whether a child gets on with it, can be invaluable.
6. There are lots of high-tech offerings. Computer games can certainly bring a new dimension otherwise unavailable to some disabled children. But technology is not magic and cannot be guaranteed to work in the way hoped. Or even to work at all. The simplest solutions are sometimes the best. Be inventive, get practical tips from others and share experiences. The Disabled Living Foundation has a helpful factsheet, Choosing Children's Play Equipment, which is available from www.dlf.org.uk/factsheets.
