More kids can now enjoy the beautiful Long Beach Reserve playground at Sandy Bay with the installation of accessible play equipment and a 'chat board', which raises the bar in accessibility, making sure this playground can be enjoyed by all children.
Under a project fully funded by the City of Hobart, Long Beach Reserve Playground is now home to a Smooth Ship Glider, with plenty of space for a person in a wheelchair and their mates, a carousel that accommodates a wheelchair, and a 5-way swing that brings together kids of all abilities.
It also has a 'chat board', designed in Tasmania and inspired by current Hobart Children's Mayor Noah Dobson, who wants to introduce chat boards into every playground in Hobart to help people who rely on non-verbal communication to chat and connect with others.
Noah's passion for building inclusive playgrounds is driven by his love for his two younger brothers, Caleb, eight, and Riley, six. Both use tools with symbols like 'hungry', 'home' and 'swing' to help them communicate.
The chat board was designed by Variety Tasmania and incorporates visual symbols, Braille and essential signs.
The $300 000 playground upgrade includes new soft fall rubber surfaces, scramble boulders and tree plantings.
Quotes to be attributed to Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds:
"We need to be much, much better at making our playgrounds accessible and fun for all Tasmanian kids," Hobart Lord Mayor Councillor Anna Reynolds said.
"In 2022 more than 170 000 Tasmanians reported having a disability, almost a third of the population.
"Long Beach Reserve Playground is now an example of how all parks and playgrounds should be designed.
"We are installing accessible and inclusive playground equipment, including a smooth glider and a universal carousel, which are designed for kids who use wheelchairs so that everyone can play together.
"Long Beach Reserve Playground now sets the bar for what all playgrounds in Hobart should look like.
"Creating a city that makes it easy for everyone, no matter where they live or how they move, to access public open spaces has huge social and health benefits.
"Accessible playgrounds should become the norm, not the exception."
Quotes to be attributed to Mohammad Aldergham, CEO Variety - the Children's Charity Tasmania:
"Variety Tasmania is committed to increasing accessibility in playgrounds across the state and we've seen firsthand how communication chat boards like these can markedly improve engagement between children of all abilities," Variety Tasmania CEO Mohammad Aldergham said.
"For children who use augmented or other forms of non-verbal communication, a playground can sometimes feel isolating. Chat boards help break down those barriers by giving children a simple way to express themselves, connect with others and join in play.
"We've seen these boards spark conversations, create friendships and build understanding between children who may communicate in different ways."
Quotes to be attributed to Hobart Children's Mayor Noah Dobson
"Long Beach Reserve playground is a perfect example of how inclusive playgrounds around the world should be.
"This new upgrade has made the park way more inclusive, and has let my brothers, Caleb and Riley, have more fun, while connecting with people safely.
"This amazingly accessible playground should hopefully be the first of lots more inclusive areas in our community.
"In the future, we should see even more communication boards, not just in parks, but also in schools and other public spaces."
