Minister's message

Every child needs play.

Play is an essential part of our children’s development and wellbeing. It helps them to build confidence, develop social and communication skills, learn how to care for others and the environment, develop physical, cognitive and emotional skills and increases their overall health and happiness.

The United Nations High Commission for Human Rights recognises play as a right for every child. However, many children and adults living with disability have difficulty finding playspaces that families can enjoy together.

Inclusive Play seeks to address this by providing a set of guiding principles to assist in the design and development of playspaces that enable all children and their families to engage in play and play together.

The guide also builds on Inclusive SA, our State Disability Inclusion Plan 2019–2023, which is our vision for an accessible and inclusive South Australia.

Inclusive Play was developed through a working group with stakeholders who have expertise in disability, children, built environments, sport and recreation as well as through community consultation with people living with disability, families, carers and children. I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank everyone who contributed to the creation of this guide.

I encourage everyone who is involved in developing playspaces within our community to utilise this guide, so we can ensure playspaces can be enjoyed by everyone equally.

Michelle Lensink MLC
Minister for Human Services