Inclusive playground for everyone! Setbacks, joy and new opportunities in Döbling

Inclusive playground for everyone! Setbacks, joy and new opportunities in Döbling

On October 24, 2025, a particularly remarkable inclusive playground was ceremoniously opened at the Clara Fey School in Döbling. This is an important step in the right direction, because such playgrounds offer children with and without disabilities the opportunity to play together and learn from each other, as meinbezirk.at reports. The opening was celebrated by numerous families and supporters who had wanted such a project for a long time.

Especially at a time when the importance of inclusion is becoming increasingly important, a playground that meets the needs of all children is of great importance. Barrier-free playgrounds not only give children with disabilities the right to play, but also promote development and social exchange between accompanying persons, as Aktion Mensch also describes. However, in many parts of Germany only a few playgrounds are barrier-free, which underlines how necessary such initiatives are.

The importance of inclusive playgrounds

The importance of an inclusive playground is also emphasized by Dr. Volker Anneken, an expert in inclusion through exercise and sport. He emphasizes that playing together contributes to early acceptance of differences. Inclusion often begins in childhood, and play is an ideal place for this. Offering children the same opportunities to play not only helps those affected, but also strengthens the community by breaking down prejudices.

In addition, according to Kompan, important insights into the design of inclusive playgrounds have been collected in recent years. At least seven measures have been identified that are essential for planning such playgrounds:

• Zugängliche Spielplatzgeräte: Diese sollten selbstständig und mit minimalem Kraftaufwand erreicht werden können.
• Angepasste Spielgeräte: Geräte wie Rampen und Universalkarussells sind für Kinder mit körperlichen Einschränkungen hilfreich.
• Intuitive Spielplatzgeräte: Leicht bedienbare Geräte fördern das Spielvergnügen.
• Spielgeräte für Helfer: Diese schaffen Platz für Begleitpersonen und ermöglichen gemeinsames Spiel.
• Einzelspielgeräte: Rückzugsmöglichkeiten helfen Kindern, sich von Reizüberflutung zu erholen.
• Sensorische Spielelemente: Musik-Spielwände und visuelle Komponenten bringen zusätzlichen Spaß.
• Orientierungselemente: Hilfreiche Beschilderungen sorgen für eine klare räumliche Orientierung.

The questions that designers and builders of an inclusive playground should ask themselves are simple: "Can I get there? Can I stay? Can I play?" These principles should always be at the forefront of implementation to ensure true inclusion.

With the opening of the new playground at the Clara Fey School, another building block for inclusive coexistence was created. The joy of the children and their parents reflects how important this project is for the community.