Inclusive Play was born out of our support for SCOPE’s “Let’s Play Fair” campaign. While backing the campaign, the Young Trustees recognised a significant skills gap in the design of inclusive play spaces. With SCOPE’s efforts primarily focused on supporting parents of disabled children, this series presents a valuable opportunity to complement their work by addressing the lack of industry expertise in inclusive design
We take a research-led approach to critically examine the role of play in the built environment; exploring how it is defined, why it matters, and who it’s truly designed for. This work will culminate in an open-source digital design guide aimed at supporting the creation of more inclusive, thoughtful play spaces.
To inform the guidance, we hosted a series of workshops that brought together students and professionals from a range of backgrounds and disciplines. This included an initial industry roundtable, followed by workshops with Arup and youth-led sessions through Open City’s Accelerate Programme. We also ran a series of workshops with students from Bedelsford School, which supports young people with Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD), Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD), and Complex Health Needs.
In these workshops, we asked: “What would your dream play space look like?” This opened up conversations not only about how and with whom young people like to play, but also about the materials, sounds, and even smells that make a space come alive.These insights helped us think not only about the practicalities of inclusive design, but also about how to centre joy, curiosity, and sensory experience as core components of inclusive spaces.
For the Young Trustees, this process offered a meaningful opportunity to amplify voices that are often marginalised in decision-making. These perspectives, which are frequently overlooked, are essential to shaping spaces that are truly accessible to all.
We’re incredibly grateful to the parents, carers, teachers, and all our partners whose insights and support have been invaluable. Special thanks to the Architecture Foundation, Jen Allen and Bedelsford School, Arup, Open City Accelerate Programme, Zetteler, Yorda Playhouse, and everyone who contributed to our crowdfund - this work wouldn’t have been possible without you.