A 12-year-old Hobart children’s mayor’s push to make playgrounds more inclusive has inspired a new communication tool at Sandy Bay’s Long Beach Reserve.
The $300,000 council-funded playground upgrade includes equipment that allows children who use wheelchairs to play alongside their friends.
It also features a ‘chat board’ to help children who use non-verbal communication tools.
Noah Dobson, a 12-year-old student at Lenah Valley Primary School, was elected Hobart children’s mayor during National Children’s Week.
His winning manifesto called for inclusive communication boards in playgrounds across Hobart to support non-speaking children and other community members.
Noah’s campaign was inspired by his two younger brothers, Caleb and Riley.
Both use tools featuring symbols such as ‘hungry’, ‘home’ and ‘swing’ to help them communicate.
“This new upgrade has made the park way more inclusive and has let my brothers … have more fun, while connecting with people safely,” Noah said.
“In the future, we should see even more communication boards, not just in parks, but also in schools and other public spaces.”
Designed by Variety Tasmania, the chat board incorporates visual symbols, Braille and essential signs.
The playground also features a wheelchair-accessible smooth ship glider, a carousel that can accommodate a wheelchair and a five-way swing.
New soft-fall rubber surfaces, scramble boulders and tree plantings have also been added.
Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said more needed to be done to make playgrounds accessible.
“In 2022, more than 170,000 Tasmanians reported having a disability, almost a third of the population,” she said.
“Accessible playgrounds should become the norm, not the exception.”
Variety Tasmania chief executive Mohammad Aldergham said communication boards could “markedly improve engagement between children of all abilities”.
“For children who use augmented or other forms of non-verbal communication, a playground can sometimes feel isolating,” he said.
“We’ve seen these boards spark conversations, create friendships and build understanding between children who may communicate in different ways.”
