Barnsley Liberal Democrats call for inclusive playgrounds for children with disabilities

In a motion to yesterday’s (November 24), councillor Hannah Kitching, leader of the Barnsley Lib Dems, asked the council to consider exclusivity and consult with parents of disabled children when refurbishing or designing new playgrounds.

Councillor Kitching said she was inspired to submit the motion after working with a family in her Penistone West constituency whose daughter has cerebral palsy.

“This resident is a full time wheelchair user due to cerebral palsy, which has affected her physical abilities since birth,” she told the meeting.

“One of the many challenges that her and her mum have faced over the last few years is around play the ability to join her friends on trips to local parks and playgrounds.

“Her mum has to physically lift her out of her wheelchair to put her into a swing, or to sit with her on a roundabout.

“This incredibly independent, determined girl is deeply frustrated that her mom having to constantly be at her side, hanging on to her to keep her safe, while her friends played independently.

“Being dragged over wet grass and hauled into a too small baby swing doesn’t sound like a huge amount of fun for anyone.

“As a local authority, if we find ourselves in a place where we do have resources and money to invest in our borough’s playgrounds, that we make inclusivity not just accessibility, a priority consideration.”

The borough’s Labour party tabled an amendement, stating that ‘much work has already been done in this area’, and recognising the ‘need to improve playgrounds’.

Leader of the council Sir Steve Houghton said that Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council (BMBC) is ‘already doing some of the things that they have already said’.

“If we’re going to set a policy, we need to provide an appropriate way where the council can manage that, but also don’t raise expectations that the council cannot fulfil, ” he added.

“The council does not have a statutory responsibility to provide playgrounds.

“We do recognise [that] the playgrounds we have we would wish to improve certainly for disabled people but for everyone.

“Every opportunity we can get to improve the quality of life for people with all kinds of disabilities….we will try and do.”