Applying universal design to playgrounds: expert perspectives

Playgrounds are essential for providing for children’s right to play, yet often contain barriers that affect all children, including those with disabilities. To address these challenges, human rights and standards documents advocate for inclusive playgrounds using a Universal Design (UD) approach. However, expertise on applying UD to playgrounds remains scarce. Therefore, the current study aimed to identify experts’ experiences and strategies for applying UD in playgrounds. Six UD experts were interviewed using a go-along method at four playgrounds located in Dublin, Ireland. Experts demonstrated a shared understanding of UD, emphasising strategies like adapting environments to children’s diverse needs, fostering teamwork, and creating a positive social atmosphere. Natural elements played a central role, benefiting both children and the community. Importantly, participants did not aim to apply UD to each playground component but to the whole playground environment. In this way, play challenges and social inclusion for diverse users could be maximised.