Joined in the park

From the moment we are born until our older age, the environment, in which we live, greatly impacts our health and well-being. Evidence shows that living in a greener environment protects our health, encourages faster recovery after illness and eases difficulties surrounding weak health and disabilities. People who spend more time in such environments are known to have far better physiological indicators, better mental health and overall, well-being, including lower depression, anxiety and fatigue rates.

Green spaces, such as parks and playgrounds, bring people closer together, decrease loneliness and connect local communities. Public green spaces are especially important for vulnerable and socially excluded groups, including people with disabilities. Sensibly designed inclusive public green spaces, which encourage usage among all people, can be used as an important tool in building a fairer society.

Project Joined in the park is encouraging usage of public green spaces among the disabled children and their families. Our mission is to empower vulnerable disabled children as well as their parents/caregivers, that they could spend their free time actively outdoors, improving their physical literacy, connecting with their abled peers and be better accepted in a wider community. We are striving for inclusive parks and playgrounds, which would become the place of connectivity and solidarity both among children and their parents/ caregivers.

From a standpoint of specific needs for a usage of space, children represent a vulnerable group of public space users. Children with disabilities are even more specific in terms of user type and are therefore often overlooked when designing such spaces. With this project we would like to empower children with disabilities and their caregivers that they would be able to voice their own wishes and needs outwards- to decision makers, public space architects and engineers, organisations and their own parents/caregivers.

To achieve our goal, we will be organising and executing numerous activities in the time span of one year. Some will be for empowering children with disabilities (or their guardians), others to raise awareness among decision-makers, planners and open space managers.

1. Meeting children with their caregivers/ parents and institutions to identify key shortcomings (physical, social and cultural barriers), which are turning children away from already established inclusive playgrounds/ parks and open public space in general.
2. Implementation of a series of three cognitive-research events in each of the following parks: Šmartinski park in Ljubljana, Keršmančev park in Kamnik and Europark in Zagorje. Events will consist of several activities that are suitable for both children with disabilities and those without disabilities, with the aim of encouraging interaction and consequent understanding and acceptance among children. In addition, each of the meetings will also be dedicated to (1) identifying obstacles and conflicts in public space (as well as reasons for less frequent visits to parks) by children with reduced mobility or their caregivers, (2) presentation and recognition of obstacles and conflicts in public space by decision-makers, planners and managers (workshop “Try walking in my shoes”), (3) reviewing the usability of the playground after providing responsible authorities with improvement measures.
3. Publishing a periodical magazine (newsletter), made in collaboration with disabled children, their parents/caretakers and institutions for education and rehabilitation (for example: Special Education Centre Janez Levec Ljubljana, CIRIUS Kamnik, Elementary school Slavko Grum in Zagorje, Municipality of Ljubljana- Board for health and social security, Institute for the Promotion of Accessibility- Dostop). Magazine will be raising awareness among architects and engineers of public spaces, decision makers, managers of green spaces (kindergartens, schools, other institutions), local initiatives and communities about the needs of disabled children in connection to public spaces and last but not least, encourage disabled children and their families to speak about their position and experience outwards. In addition, we will be also focusing on encouraging children, caregivers and educational institutions to continue publishing magazines after the end of the project and supply them with the needed knowledge.
4. Preparation of a set of concrete measures for the improvement of playgrounds tailored to children with disabilities and distribution to the responsible decision-makers (for each of the considered playgrounds).
5. Preparation and distribution of general recommendations and guidelines for various institutions (schools and other institutions, municipalities or playground managers) to promote the inclusive design and use of public space and to reduce spatial, social and cultural barriers to visiting children's playgrounds and parks for children with disabilities.
6. Preparation of lists of relevant contacts (responsible organisations, services, departments, individuals) which parents and caregivers can contact in case of facing limits and obstacles/ finding possible areas of improvement in connection to public playgrounds and parks.  Providing the list of contacts to educational and care organisations and institutions, involved in the project, to share vital information with disabled children, parents and or children’s caregivers.

Training for decision makers will be organized in collaboration with Chamber of Architecture and Spatial Planning of Slovenia (ZAPS): survey on familiarity with and taking into account the specifics of open space planning for physically challenged children (survey at the beginning and end of the project), workshop "Put yourself in my skin" on a selected inclusive playground, training for more inclusive planning of public space, especially children's playgrounds - presentation of recommendations and guidelines (as part of ZAPS vocational training).