Inclusive Play!

Every so often, you get to sit down for a conversation you wish would just keep going. That was my hour on WXXI’s Connections.

I had the joy of joining Connections with Evan Dawson — guest-hosted by WXXI education reporter Noelle E. C. Evans — for a conversation about what it really means to make play inclusive. The episode asked a deceptively simple question: what does it mean to be inclusively playful? I wish we’d had two hours, because our conversations were just getting started.

The panel

It was a genuine pleasure to be in conversation with such thoughtful people:

• Noelle E. C. Evans — WXXI education reporter/producer, guest hosting, reporting from WXXI’s Inclusion Desk.
• Ingrid M. Kanics, OTR, FAOTA, CPSI — president of Kanics Inclusive Design Services.
• Kendra Hayle — director of center operations for the City of Rochester.
• And me, for Rochester Accessible Adventures.

From design to reality

We covered the whole arc of inclusive play — from how a space is imagined to how a person actually experiences it. A few ideas ran all the way through:

• Strategic planning — because inclusion rarely happens by accident. It happens when we plan for it from the very start.
• Universal design — building spaces and experiences that work for the widest range of people from the beginning, not as an add-on taped on at the end.
• Intentional welcoming — because even a beautifully designed space still needs people who are ready, and genuinely glad, to welcome everyone who arrives.

It all matters. And, we know from RAA’s work that it’s all possible. Strategic, intentional inclusion isn’t a someday goal — it’s happening, right here, right now.

Why play matters

Play is powerful. It brings people together, it helps us learn and grow, and it can even heal. Play is the place where conversations, resolutions, and shared experiences create a sense of Community. But it isn’t automatically accessible to everyone — and closing that gap, from design to reality, is exactly what this kind of conversation, and this kind of work, is for.

Thank you

My thanks to WXXI and the Move to Include initiative, and to Noelle Evans for having us on and guiding such a meaningful conversation — and to Ingrid and Kendra for being such generous partners in it.

Listen to the conversation

Catch the full conversation here:

• WXXI Connections: “What does it mean to be inclusively playful?”

Let’s keep playing — together

Inclusive play is possible, and it’s worth planning for. If you’re working to make your space, program, or playground welcoming to everyone, reach out to us at Rochester Accessible Adventures — we’d love to help.

Find YOUR next inclusive adventures at our DirectConnect Resource Guide!

Let’s #MakeInclusionHappen!