Beyond Sight: Playground Design for Children with Visual Impairments – September 24th @1PM ET

What does a playground feel like when you cannot rely on sight to explore, navigate, or play? This engaging panel brings together professionals and individuals with lived experience to examine how thoughtful design can create play environments that are welcoming, intuitive, and engaging for children who are blind or have low vision.

Participants will gain insight into the barriers families often encounter, from locating entrances and understanding playground layouts to identifying play opportunities and navigating independently. Topics will include sensory wayfinding, color and contrast, orientation pathways, landmarks, playground layout, and selecting play experiences that engage the full range of the senses. The discussion will also examine how these elements benefit many users beyond those with visual impairments, including young children, older adults, individuals with cognitive disabilities, and first-time visitors.

At the end of the course, the participants will be able to:

• Identify common barriers that children who are blind or have low vision encounter when accessing, navigating, and participating in playground environments.
• Evaluate design strategies that improve orientation, wayfinding, and independent play, including sensory signage, tactile cues, auditory features, color contrast, and accessible pathways.
• Apply inclusive design principles to create playgrounds that provide meaningful sensory experiences and support participation for children with visual impairments while enhancing usability for all visitors.