Centre for Health, Activity, and Rehabilitation Research, School of Physiotherapy, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand.
Centre for Health, Activity, and Rehabilitation Research, School of Physiotherapy, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand.
Disabil Health J. 2018 Apr;11(2):221-229. doi: 10.1016/j.dhjo.2017.08.011. Epub 2017 Sep 8.
Public parks and playgrounds are an environment for leisure activity, which all generations can enjoy at low or no financial cost. Evaluating the accessibility and usability of parks and playgrounds is crucial because their design, environment (natural and built) and safety could restrict participation of persons with disabilities.
To evaluate the accessibility and usability of 21 public parks and playgrounds in three metropolitan cities of New Zealand. Secondary aims were to compare the accessibility and usability by park type (destination or neighborhood) and deprivation level (high and low).
Twenty-one parks were evaluated. A stratified random sampling was used to select 18 parks (six from each city). Three additional parks were purposely selected (one from each city) at the request of each respective city council. The parks and playgrounds were evaluated using a customized tool. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.
None of the parks we evaluated met the national standards and/or international guidelines for park and playground design. We identified potential accessibility and usability issues with car parking spaces, path surfaces and play equipment as well as lack of lighting and fencing. The presence of amenities (e.g. toilets and drinking fountains) was more common in destination parks. Fewer parks in areas of higher deprivation had accessible car parking spaces and main paths wider than 1.5 m.
Our evaluation identified potential design, environmental and safety barriers to park and playground based participation for persons with disabilities across the lifespan. A larger, more comprehensive evaluation of parks and playgrounds is required.
公共公园和游乐场是休闲活动的场所，所有年龄段的人都可以在不花费或只需很少费用的情况下享受其中的乐趣。评估公园和游乐场的可达性和可用性至关重要，因为它们的设计、环境（自然和人工）以及安全性可能会限制残疾人士的参与。
评估新西兰三个大都市的 21 个公共公园和游乐场的可达性和可用性。次要目的是根据公园类型（目的地或邻里）和贫困程度（高和低）比较可达性和可用性。
对 21 个公园进行了评估。采用分层随机抽样的方法，从每个城市中选择了 18 个公园（每个城市各 6 个）。应每个市议会的要求，另外选择了 3 个公园（每个城市各 1 个）。使用定制的工具评估了公园和游乐场。使用描述性统计分析对数据进行了分析。
我们评估的公园没有一个符合国家公园和游乐场设计标准和/或国际准则。我们发现了停车场、路径表面和游乐设备以及缺乏照明和围栏等方面的潜在可达性和可用性问题。在目的地公园中，设施（如厕所和饮水机）更为常见。在贫困程度较高的地区，可进入的停车场和宽度超过 1.5 米的主要路径较少。
我们的评估确定了潜在的设计、环境和安全障碍，这些障碍限制了残疾人士在整个生命周期中参与公园和游乐场活动的机会。需要对公园和游乐场进行更大、更全面的评估。
