William Eichler 24 February 2016

Disabled children prevented from accessing play opportunities

Disabled children and their parents are ‘excluded’ from their communities because of insufficient funding at a local level, report reveals.

A new report by the national deafblind charity, Sense, reveals there are multiple restrictions preventing disabled children from accessing the play opportunities that are vital to their emotional, social and physical development.

Some of the barriers to play highlighted by The Case for Play report, include a lack of funding at the local level, little attention from Whitehall, and negative attitudes towards disabled children and their families.

Lord Blunkett, the former secretary of state for education and employment and chair of the inquiry into play, said: ‘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.’

'I know that there is strong support across the political spectrum for addressing the findings of this report, and I look forward to working with colleagues from all parties to achieve real change for parents and families across the nation,’ he added.