Accessible and inclusive. . . Josh South is pleased to see the proposed $2.2 million playground on Caroline Bay will make it possible for children with disabilities to play alongside their siblings and peers.

TIMARU COURIER

One of the first things Josh South noticed when he looked at concept plans for the proposed $2.2 million Caroline Bay playground was an image of a child in a wheelchair at the controls of the shipwreck. Timaru born and bred, Josh is well known around South Canterbury, having lost his left leg to bone cancer when he was just 11. He spent some time using a wheelchair as he adjusted to the change, but for the main part, he has been getting around on crutches ever since. While he is now commercial manager at EnviroWaste, Josh has held multiple roles in Timaru, working with people with disabilities and children, and is dad to three kids, the youngest of whom is now 13.

The inclusivity of the proposed playground gets his full approval. ‘‘The biggest thing for me, I hate that word ‘normal’ — define normal, what is it? I always wanted to do what everybody else was doing. ‘‘If I wanted to go for a swim, I went for a swim, if I wanted to go for a slide, I went for a slide.’’ He acknowledges that not every child with a disability may be able to do the same, but says a playground needs to provide as many opportunities as possible for them to be involved.

‘‘We are all about trying to make it inclusive, but they [children who use wheelchairs] come down here now, and there’s a swing for wheelchair users with a fence around it. That’s not inclusive at all.’’ CPlay member Roselyn Fauth says research shows one in 13 under-15 year olds have ‘‘activity limitations’’ — mobility, vision, hearing, cognition — and while that number is important, it is not the full story. If one family member has limitations, it impacts on the whole family, she says. ‘‘Inclusive means all playing together, not having a person getting left behind.

‘‘So it’s not just talking about 516 kids, it’s talking about a whole community that wants to be able to play with them.’’ There are more than 40 play pieces in the proposed playground, and the committee has ensured there are options for various sizes, ages and abilities to use them. While a child who use wheelchairs might not be able to access the entire shipwreck, they will be able to sit at the controls.

Josh says that’s the right approach. ‘‘There will be some things that people in wheelchairs can’t do, but because it’s so accessible, they will at least be able to sit there and be involved, watching and being right up there, and I like that. ‘‘I think this playground is going to be awesome. We need attractions here, people will think, ‘they’ve got that new playground in Timaru’, and it’s not going to cost anything for the kids, or families, to come down here, and spend the day. It’s long overdue.’’