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Breaking Barriers -  Inclusive Playground Design: Based on insights from a user-centred process, what design concepts can support meaningful play for children with Autism in playgrounds?
Jönköping University, School of Health and Welfare. Jönköping University, School of Engineering.
2025 (English)Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 80 credits / 120 HE creditsStudent thesis
Abstract [en]

Play is essential to children’s development, yet public playgrounds often fail to accommodate the diverse needs of neurodivergent children, particularly those with Autism. This thesis investigates how a user-centred design can support sensory regulation and emotional safety for autistic children in playground settings. Grounded in the Human, Activity, Assistive Technology and International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health frameworks and structured through the Double Diamond design process, the study draws on stakeholder interviews, literature, and design evaluation tools to identify key barriers and translate them into actionable requirements. Three inclusive concepts were created: the Sensory Refuge, the Moon Crater Sitting Zones, and the Colour Projection Sensory Wall. Each was assessed through Pugh matrices and the Desirability - Viability - Feasibility framework, incorporating sustainability and feasibility within the Lappset Group’s production context. The resulting interventions offer children the possibility to retreat to self-regulate, observe or engage, how they want. The thesis concludes that inclusion in playgrounds must move beyond physical access to embrace emotional and sensory dimensions of participation. By adapting the environment to the user, rather than the reverse, these concepts offer a viable pathway toward more inclusive public play spaces.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2025. , p. 99
Keywords [en]
Inclusive playground design, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sensory regulation, Emotional safety, User-centred design, Assistive technology, Participation
National Category
Design Public Health, Global Health and Social Medicine Other Engineering and Technologies
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-68471OAI: oai:DiVA.org:hj-68471DiVA, id: diva2:1968977
External cooperation
Lappset Group Oy
Available from: 2025-06-16 Created: 2025-06-13 Last updated: 2025-10-13Bibliographically approved

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CiteExportLink to record
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