Original ArticleAccessibility and usability of parks and playgrounds
Section snippets
Methods
We evaluated the accessibility and usability of 18 randomly selected, and three recently refurbished parks (nominated by the city councils), parks and playgrounds located across the three metropolitan cities in the Greater Wellington Region in New Zealand.
Results
We evaluated 21 parks in total; eight (38%) were destination and 13 (62%) were neighborhood (Table 1). The geographical deprivation of the areas where the parks were situated in ranged from one to nine; 11 (52%) were classified as low deprivation and ten (48%) as high deprivation (Table 1).
Discussion
This study evaluated the accessibility and usability of 21 public parks and playgrounds from three areas within the Greater Wellington Region using a customized evaluation tool (PARCS), as well as comparing accessibility and usability measures of parks and playgrounds by geographical deprivation and playground type (neighborhood or destination). This study identified several key areas concerning the design, environment and safety of the parks, potentially creating barriers to participation of
Conclusion
Parks need to be accessible and usable by all people across the life span, including persons with disabilities. This evaluation of 21 parks found issues in the domains of accessible car parking, path surfaces, play equipment access and usability, play richness, fencing and lighting. These aspects could contribute to leisure and PA participation barriers in these specific environments for persons with disabilities. A more comprehensive evaluation of parks and playgrounds across the whole of New
Funding
This research did not receive any grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Conflict of interest
On behalf of all the authors, I wish to confirm that there are no known conflicts of interest associated with this publication and there has been no significant financial support for this work that could have influenced its outcome.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the Wellington City Council, Hutt City Council and Porirua City Council for their support with this study. We would like to thank CCS Disability Action and The Blind Foundation for assisting in the development of the evaluation tool.
References (69)
- et al.
Causes and consequences of comorbidity: a review
J Clin Epidemiol
(2001) - et al.
Effect of physical inactivity on major non-communicable diseases worldwide: an analysis of burden of disease and life expectancy
Lancet
(2012) - et al.
Obesity prevalence among a group of Chicago residents with disabilities
Arch Phys Med Rehabil
(2005) - et al.
Obesity and secondary conditions in adolescents with disabilities: addressing the needs of an understanding population
J Adolesc Health
(2007) - et al.
Do green areas affect health? Results from a Danish survey on the use of green areas and health indicators
Health & Place
(2007) - et al.
Can neighborhood green space mitigate health inequalities? A study of socio-economic status and mental health
Health & Place
(2016) - et al.
Visiting green space is associated with mental health and vitality: a cross-sectional study in four european cities
Health & Place
(2016) - et al.
The significance of parks to physical activity and public health: a conceptual model
Am J Prev Med
(2005) - et al.
Physical activity participation among persons with disabilities: barriers and facilitators
Am J Prev Med
(2004) - et al.
Environmental factors associated with adults' participation in physical activity: a review
Am J Prev Med
(2002)
Enhancing creativity by means of cognitive stimulation: evidence from an fMRI study
NeuroImage
World report on disability
Disability survey
Prevalence of secondary conditions among people with disabilities
Am J Public Health
Global burden of cardiovascular diseases part i: general considerations, the epidemiologic transition, risk factors, and impact of urbanization
Circulation
Lifestyle, participation, and health-related quality of life in adolescents and young adults with myelomeningocele
Dev Med Child Neurol
Benefits and barriers to physical activity for individuals with disabilities: a social-relational model of disability perspective
Disabil Rehabil
Exercise prescription for the elderly
Sports Med
Physical activity and public health: updated recommendation for adults from the american college of sports medicine and the american heart association
Circulation
Introduction
Physical activity reduces the risk of subsequent depression for older adults
Am J Epidemiol
Physical activity as a normalizing experience for school-age children with physical disabilities implications for legitimation of social identity and enhancement of social ties
J Sport & Soc Issues
Exercise, stress, and inflammation in the growing child: from the bench to the playground
Curr Opin Pediatr
The influence of life events on physical activity patterns of Dutch older adults: a life history method
Psychol Health
Accessibility, usability and universal design—positioning and definition of concepts describing person-environment relationships
Disabil Rehabil
A systematic review of determinants of sedentary behaviour in youth: a dedipac-study
Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act
Is the neighbourhood environment associated with sedentary behaviour outside of school hours among children?
Ann Behav Med
Humans and nature: how knowing and experiencing nature affect well-being
Annu Rev Environ Resour
A walk in the park: the influence of urban parks and community violence on physical activity in Chelsea, MA
Int J Environ Res Public Health
Advancing sustainability through urban green space: cultural ecosystem services, equity, and social determinants of health
Int J Environ Res Public Health
School participation, supports and barriers of students with and without disabilities
Child Care, Health Dev
Perceived barriers and facilitators to physical activity for children with disability: a systematic review
Br J Sports Med
Are playgrounds in Norrland (northern Sweden) accessible to children with restricted mobility?
Scand J Disabil Res
Just for the fun of it: making playgrounds accessible to all children
World Leis J
Cited by (41)
Leveraging Emerging Technologies to Expand Accessibility and Improve Precision in Rehabilitation and Exercise for People with Disabilities
2024, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public HealthDisabled People or Their Support Persons’ Perceptions of a Community Based Multi-Sensory Environment (MSE): A Mixed-Method Study
2023, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health