Inclusive Play Seminars

LETS ALL PLAY! Seminar

Inclusive Provision, Practice and Policy for Children with Disabilities within Childcare Settings

In 2005 DESSA facilitated stakeholders from the community childcare sector and the disability sector in Dublin, Galway and Limerick to proactively develop strategies to enhance the greater inclusion of disabled children within community childcare facilities. In 2006 DESSA expanded to work with agencies in the south east and the North West to undertake similar seminars in Kilkenny and Donegal. This year DESSA will work with agencies in North East and the inclusive play seminar is planned for the 18th in the four seasons in Monaghan.

Rationale

Involvement in our community is a natural part of participating in life. For children this is quite often supported by their family or through education or social activities. Inevitably it is the desire to play and to have fun that will be the main impetus for most children’s interaction in their community. Play not only provides opportunities for socialisation it also has a central role in the development of the child. Through play children are able to improve their physical fitness, build skills, practice communication, understand roles and develop friendships. The UN Convention of the Rights of the Child recognises the recreational needs of children stating that:

“Every child is entitled to rest and play and to have the chance to join in a wide range of activities including cultural and artistic activities”

Article 31 UN Convention of the Rights of the Child

At a national level the National Children’s Strategy has also highlighted the importance of play as Objective D states that;

“Children will have access to play, sport, recreation and cultural activities to enrich their experience of childhood”.

The acknowledgment of play as a crucial part of child development has been given further credence by the development of the National Play Policy; ‘Ready Steady Play’ which sets out clear objectives in expanding public play facilities.

However, despite the aspirations expressed in national and international policy, disabled children have very different experiences of accessing and participating in mainstream play, childcare and leisure opportunities within community settings. Due to the historical development of disability services, disabled children continue to attend specialist support services which can reinforce marginalisation from their community.

Childcare service providers can play a role in opening up opportunities for disabled children and their parents to participate in a more inclusive way in their communities. These opportunities lie in the support services that they provide to families, whether in pre-school, play school, after-school or summer camp provision.

The Inclusive Play seminars support childcare service providers to take a proactive approach in engaging with the relevant stakeholders to ensure the full inclusion and participation of disabled children in their childcare programmes.

Aim

Community childcare service providers will have the necessary supports and capacity to take steps to ensure the active inclusion of disabled children within their childcare programmes.

Objectives

  • To explore and agree strategies that will advance the greater inclusion of disabled children in community childcare facilities.
  • To identify methodologies and actions that will inform the development of best practice.
  • To disseminate national and international resource materials.
  • To facilitate networking opportunities between community childcare service providers and disability service providers

Target Group

Childcare services providers, policy-makers and community development organisations

Outcomes

Community childcare service providers will be informed about policy and practice in the development of inclusive services for children with disabilities both in terms of service provision and accessible play areas.

Disabled children and their families will have access to locally based childcare services.

Disability service providers will network with community-based childcare service providers.

Partnership Approach

The inclusion of disabled people in Irish society entails a co-ordinated, integrated approach involving key stakeholders within communities. DESSA adopts a partnership approach to its work and will work with the following organisations in co-ordinating the seminar:

  • County & City Childcare Committees
  • Partnership Companies
  • County & City Development Boards
  • Local Development Agencies with a focus on Inclusion
  • Parents Groups
  • Disability Federation Ireland

Seminar Format

The seminars are chaired by Jacqui Browne, Chairperson of DESSA who has considerable experience in working for the inclusion of disabled people in Irish society.

The seminars entail inputs in the form of workshop and/or presentations from people /parents/ carers who have experienced disability in their own lives and from people/organisations working for the greater inclusion of disabled people in our communities.