Teaching article
An accessible playground model needs a specific access question
Start with a specific participation need rather than adding a symbol afterward.
Add a fictional participation need to the brief before drawing pathways and play areas. That gives children a design problem to investigate, rather than treating an accessibility symbol as proof that the whole plan works.
Translate the fictional access need into a specific check. Adding an accessibility symbol alone does not show whether the route works.
Test a feature against the stated need
Identify the barrier. Propose a design feature. Test with the scenario.
A tabletop route wide enough for the model access need improves the plan.
A model is not an accessibility certification.
How does the feature address the barrier? Invite multiple ways to suggest ideas.
Resources
- Paper Bridge Design Challenge — Apply a stated span and test method when comparing the paper prototypes.
Further reading
Read next
- A rough prototype can answer an important question
- How much does the paper container hold under this test?
- A fictional toy shelter needs a doorway the user can enter
Explore Design and paper engineering. Browse all teaching articles.