ANALYSIS OF PREFERENCES OF CHILDREN WITH HEALTH LIMITATIONS REGARDING THE ARRANGEMENT OF INCLUSIVE CHILDREN’S PLAYGROUNDS IN MOSCOW

Abstract

The research goal is to analyze the data on the organization and level of improvement of playgrounds with an inclusive component located on the territory of three large multifunctional parks in Moscow received from respondents to develop guidelines for organizing children’s inclusive playgrounds in large cities. The current research relevance is due to the fact that in Russia, until recently, children with health limitations were isolated from communication with peers and other people due to the fact that in society they were perceived as children with special needs. Therefore, it was believed that such joint communication is harmful to their health and development, and such children should be under constant supervision and attention from parents, guardians, and professionals. In connection with the mentioned opinion, they attempted to isolate children with disabilities from society, place them in special institutions, and teach in correctional schools. By virtue of rich global experience, this position has changed in Russia, and this category of children, now gradually transferred to ordinary schools with an inclusive component, has ample opportunities to develop both physically and psycho-emotionally, along with normally developed children. The research tasks include studying the organization of playgrounds intended for children’s recreation in such a way that all features of the psychological and physical condition of children with health limitations are fully taken into consideration. The possibility of the joint stay of children with normal development and children with health limitations within the same playground and their joint cognitive activity and various activities is also studied by means of conducting a survey. With the help of the developed questionnaires and visual material for children, a survey method is applied, implying surveying children, their parents, and guardians. The survey is conducted on the territory of children’s inclusive playgrounds in three large park areas of the city of Moscow. The survey goal is to study the psycho-emotional impact of landscape factors, urban greening, and the level of improvement, design, and construction of inclusive playground equipment on children with health limitations through outdoor games. The research results can be applied in practice in the organization and improvement of new inclusive playgrounds in city parks. Simultaneously, one should take into consideration their accessibility for people with limited mobility and the safety of structures and equipment.