Parents of disabled children in Bexley are urging for there to be more accessible playgrounds, as national plans to tackle the issue around inaccessible playgrounds continue.
The borough of Bexley is home to around 34 playgrounds, with many local children and their families taking advantage of these local spaces for socialisation and recreation.
But this isn’t as easy for disabled children living in south east London boroughs such as Bexley, who may be limited to what play equipment they can use due to their specific needs.
According to Census data from 2021, 15.4 percent of people living in Bexley are disabled.
In an ongoing series, the News Shopper is investigating how accessible the playgrounds in south east London boroughs are and we will be speaking to parents of disabled children to find out what could be better.
As part of UK disability charity Scope’s Let’s Play Fair campaign launched this year, created in a bid to highlight the “need for more accessible equipment” in playgrounds across the UK, campaigners were asked to survey local playgrounds and provide feedback on their accessibility.
In 2023, Scope launched The Play Investigation, where 1,083 Scope campaigners visited 1,004 playgrounds across the UK, including 126 playgrounds in London, to conduct surveys on how accessible they were.
James Taylor, Director of Strategy at disability equality charity Scope, said: “Every child should have an equal right to play.
"Yet many disabled children can’t enjoy their local playground because it isn’t designed for them, leaving them and their families divided and excluded. It isn’t right that disabled children are shut out.”
27 playgrounds across south east London were featured on Scope’s interactive map after being surveyed by campaigners, however none of Bexley’s playgrounds were surveyed.
The number of accessible playgrounds
Data from Bexley Council obtained by the News Shopper along with an independent audit has revealed the accessibility provisions for each of Bexley’s 34 council-managed playgrounds.
Based on the available information, News Shopper concluded that the borough has:
- 27 playgrounds have accessible equipment, whilst seven do not
- Four playgrounds with nearby accessible toilets
- Five playgrounds with nearby disabled parking
Based on information from Bexley Council:
- 24 playgrounds have a pod or giant swing
- 16 playgrounds have sound/talk tube play equipment
- 7 playgrounds have an adapted swing seat
- 7 playgrounds have a ground-level roundabout
- 4 playgrounds have a ground-level trampoline
- 4 playgrounds have an accessible springer
- 2 playgrounds have a double-width slide
- 2 playgrounds have a water play area
- 7 playgrounds don't have any inclusive equipment
Further research also concluded that all playgrounds have step-free access, however some playgrounds were found to have inaccessible gates and pathways for wheelchair users.
Find out what provisions each playground has in our widget below:
“Options are very limited for my disabled child”
For parents like Dawn Wignall, whose son requires the use of a wheelchair, playgrounds need to have step-free accessible equipment as well as accessible swings for him to use.
However, options for Dawn are limited due to her son’s needs and age.
Dawn said her son, now 18, still enjoys visiting the playground, but due to the nature of his disability he is “very limited” on what he can use, because many playgrounds do not have accessible equipment or size-appropriate accessible equipment.
Dawn told the News Shopper that she has resorted to buying her own attachable clip-on harness seat to use on swings, that she brings along with her during park visits, due to there not being any provisions to allow her son to use the swings without it.
Dawn said: “He loves swings and roundabouts, even though he’s 18 he still likes sensory things.
“Even though parks say they're only up to 12 – 14 years old, he still would like to go to the park but there’s just not much he can use.”
Dawn explained that as a result of the lack of accessible playgrounds locally, the family would “plan trips” to Devon, due to Exeter Play Park which was rated number six in the world’s most inclusive playgrounds.
Dawn added: “Once a year we go to Exeter Play Park in Devon near where we stay, simply because they've got so many different things there that he can go on.”
Fellow parent Laura Stacey, whose disabled daughter is 15 years old, described challenges in finding play equipment for older children, along with playgrounds that have nearby accessible toilets in the borough.
Laura said: “A lot of the disabled children have delayed development.
“So for instance my daughter still loves using swings at aged 15, so there needs to be more for disabled children and older ones at that.”
Laura added: “The other issue is finding playgrounds that have disabled accessible toilets. You want them to still have some dignity, but you can't change them in a tiny cubicle in a public toilet.
"There doesn't seem to be any disability toilets in these parks either.
“We've got a huge disabled buggy that we use, so I can lay her down in that and go to a private area if I need to, but it's still not nice.”
Another parent, Zofia, whose five-year-old son Thomas lives with autism, told the News Shopper she felt that there was not enough provision in the borough for children with autism to play.
Zofia, whose son is non-verbal and has difficulty following instruction, requires secure playgrounds, soft landings and equipment that is safe to use for her son, who is at risk of falling due to his disability.
Zofia said: “Most of the equipment is not really designed for children like my son.
“Some of the climbing frames are around three metres high and obviously that's a no-go for my son, because he doesn’t understand what happens when he falls, so I have to be on it with him.
“My son is also too big for many of the baby swings, but we cannot let him use a swing without the guards to stop him from falling, so he can only use basket swings if a playground has them.”
For Zofia, playgrounds having features like basket swings, fall-safe climbing equipment, secure gates and soft landings are key.
But she also told the News Shopper that she felt a lot of playgrounds lacked sensory areas more geared towards older children with autism like Thomas.
Zofia explained: “Playgrounds could also have a larger area dedicated to sensory activities for children above toddler years, for children like Thomas and just other children who maybe can’t use physical play equipment.”
The future outlook for playground accessibility
In February 2024, The Disability Unit published a nationwide strategy named The Disability Action Plan, which set out actions for the government to take in 2024 to help improve the lives of disabled people living in the UK, spread across 14 different areas – including the accessibility of playgrounds.
In proposals set out in the plan, The Disability Unit has pledged to create an “online hub” of information on playground accessibility, as well as pledging to raise awareness on issues surrounding playground accessibility with local authorities.
Labour MP for Belvedere Daniel Francis, who also cares for his disabled daughter, told the News Shopper that more work needed to be done in Bexley to give “better consideration for wheelchair users” in playgrounds in the borough.
The dad-of-two said that the family struggle to find playgrounds that offer equipment for children of varying abilities, often resulting in his disabled daughter not being able to play.
Mr Francis said: “My children are getting a little bit older now, and the issue is one of my children are able to use everything or almost everything in a playground, whilst my other daughter can barely use anything at all.
“I often take my children to other playgrounds in other boroughs where they offer more accessible equipment.”
Mr Francis explained that often parents like him have to “self-survey’ in order to find out about playground accessibility, and added that authorities should be undertaking audits of playground accessibility for parents along with plans for future playground construction projects.
Mr Francis added: “I accept that local authority finance is in a very difficult position, but there is no reason why every local authority shouldn't be undertaking that audit to understand which playgrounds have accessible equipment and which don't.
“And then there's no reason when they're bringing forward investment plans, why they shouldn't then be understanding.
“Any parent in the position I was in seven years ago, when you realise that one of your children's walking and using equipment in the playground and another child isn't, has no idea which playgrounds they can go to.
“They all have to go and do this self-survey like I did.”
In a statement the London Borough of Bexley said that making more of its boroughs accessible was at “the forefront” of decision making and that a £1.9 million Capital Playground Fund had been announced to enhance playgrounds across Bexley.
A spokesperson for Bexley Council said: “Provision of inclusive playgrounds within the borough is at the forefront of all of our decision making when reviewing the replacement or updating the borough’s playgrounds. Wherever possible chosen equipment is multi-functional to allow those with disabilities to play inclusively alongside friends and family with no disabilities.
“We are delighted to have a new £1.9 million Capital Playground Fund to update and provide a wider range of innovative play opportunities for families across our sites and to enhance our much-loved sensory facilities and tactile equipment at Belvedere Beach and Danson Park.
“The Green at Falconwood also has a really good range of equipment to meet many disabilities.
“The Council manages 34 playgrounds within the Borough and all of these are fully accessible to those with disabilities.
“27 of our playgrounds have inclusive play equipment available for people with certain disabilities alongside the remainder which also cater for less restrictive disabilities.
“We recognise that better information does need to be provided regarding accessibility, facilities available onsite and any specific equipment to better suit some disabilities and this is something we are committed to doing and are in the process of completing.”
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