Search

Background: Although playgrounds are designed to promote outdoor play, children with disabilities may be unable to engage in these spaces due to intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Previous research has examined inclusive/accessible playground design when developing new playgrounds; however, it is unclear if there is a best-practice tool for evaluating the inclusivity of existing playground structures. Objective: A scoping review of both peer-reviewed and grey literature will be employed to explore evaluation tools for playground inclusivity, to enable the participation of children with disabilities. Methods: The conduct of this study will adhere to the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines. A search for peer-reviewed research studies will be conducted in the following electronic databases: MEDLINE, Scopus, CINAHL, and Embase. Grey literature will be examined via a three-step process: (1) a search in the Canadian Health Research Collection Database; (2) a targeted Google search; and (3) reference list searching. Titles, abstracts, keywords, and full texts of identified studies will be independently screened for inclusion by two reviewers. A synthesis of included articles will describe the publication and auditing tool details. A summary of the findings will highlight the types of playgrounds measured, types of disability considered, measures of inclusion used, and psychometric properties. Results: Database searches for peer-reviewed articles were completed in December 2021. A total of 1471 unique records were returned after the removal of 559 duplicate records. Full texts of 167 studies meeting eligibility criteria will be reviewed. The peer-reviewed research search will guide the grey literature search. The scoping review is planned for completion in 2022. Conclusions: A rigorous search of the literature will determine the availability of tools for evaluating existing playground structures for the inclusivity of children with disabilities. The results will inform recommendations on tool applications, and applicable knowledge translation activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) promote sustainable development, including access to nature. Despite benefits associated with outdoor engagement, people with disabilities are less likely to have access. The Flow Learning framework has potential to promote outdoor engagement for people with disabilities. Flow Learning involves a sequence of activities to introduce and engage learners with nature. This paper uses a case example to present a potential applications of Flow Learning to develop meaningful outdoor activities for adults with disabilities (aged 18 to 25 years) within the context of the SDGs. Discussion focuses on how Flow Learning is useful to develop structured programming that stimulates outdoor appreciation among people with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the numerous benefits of physical activity (PA) participation, children and youth with physical disabilities (CYPD) are not active enough. Limited research has explored the PA preferences and attitudes of CYPD, which are critical to the design of effective community-based PA programs. To address this gap, this study examined the PA preferences and attitudes of CYPD (N = 38, mean age = 15 years, 54% male). Top PA preferences included: being active after school (39.5%), in a gymnasium setting (52.6%), at a moderate intensity (52.6%), and with close friends (65.8%). Participants reported high positive attitudes (M = 4.36 out of 5) toward PA. This study offers important findings for therapeutic recreation (TR) professionals to consider as they design, deliver, and assist children and youth to locate PA programs within their communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]