Disabled children isolated during playtime, charity says

According to a new report by Sense, children with disabilities are often excluded during playtime because playgrounds and playgroups are unaccessible.

The charity claims that insufficient funding at a local level and negative attitudes to disabled children and their families are significant barriers to integration. It also found that most parents of disabled children thought that poor attitudes from other parents was a key barrier to accessing mainstream play.

The inquiry interviewed 175 families of disabled children with multiple needs and received a further 175 pieces of evidence. A survey of the families found that ninety per cent felt their child did not have the same chances to play as other children.

The study also found that two thirds of families claimed they had little information regarding accessible play opportunities in their area, while over half said they had been turned away from play settings that had failed to meet their duties under the Equality Act.

Lord Blanket, leader of Sense and former Education Secretary, said: "We know that play is vitally important for children with multiple needs and their families, bringing a wide range of developmental and emotional benefits. However, our inquiry found that all too often the parents of children with multiple needs point to barriers they face in accessing and enjoying play.

"It means that disabled children don't have the same chance to form friendships, and parents are prevented from taking a break from caring. Both disabled children and their parents are excluded from their own communities."

A Department for Education (DfE) spokesman said: "We are committed to ensuring disabled children can access early years education and that play opportunities are accessible to disabled children.

"We don't want to see any children discriminated against and to help this we have introduced the biggest reforms to the Special Educational Needs and Disability system in a generation, focusing support on individual needs and aspirations."