Application
Outdoor play spaces include equipment and features designed to provide play opportunities and experiences for children and caregivers of all abilities. These areas can include: '
- manufactured play equipment (like monkey bars and swings).
- natural play structures (like logs, rocks, sand or water).
Consultation requirements, outdoor play spaces Consultation requirements aim to ensure play experiences are available for all users of play space, including those with a range of disabilities.
An inclusive design process that incorporates feedback from the community will result in a better understanding of what makes a play space fun for all children.
Consultations with the public, including people with disabilities, can provide organizations with valuable insight into the diverse needs of children and caregivers with disabilities in the community. Consulting helps designers and decision-makers understand potential accessibility barriers in order to develop design solutions that better meet the needs of the community. Consultations should take place as early as possible in the planning and design process. Organizations can then weigh all considerations before they make decisions and finalize design plans.
The consultation requirement does not set out a particular process or way to consult, as it is recognized that consultations can be conducted in a wide variety of ways depending on the organization.
This also allows organizations to use consultation processes they may already have in place and to combine consultations. For example, consultations on play spaces and recreational trails may be conducted at the same time, based on an organization's need to do both.
For more information about accessible consultation processes, organizations may wish to consult the Ontario Municipal Social Services Association's _gut for Accessible Community Engagement. These guides were developed through the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario's Enabling Change Program.
Municipalities with an Accessibility Advisory Committee, established in accordance with subse_ction 29 (1) or (2) of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, must also consult with the committee.