Adelaide City Council calls for inclusive playspace design
A playspace to honour popular disability advocate Quentin Kenihan is a step closer. What do you think it should include?
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A $1 million playground to honour much-loved disability advocate Quentin Kenihan will be as big as a soccer pitch and include equipment to cater for people of all abilities.
Adelaide City Council has released a design tender for the Rymill Park play area that will honour the actor and filmmaker, who was running for council when he died in October 2018.
The playground is a joint venture between the council and the State Government.
A council report said it should include a “range of experiences” and cater for a “broad range of abilities”, including people with mobility, vision, hearing and spectrum disorders.
Human Services Minister Michelle Lensink said Kenihan “fiercely advocated” for an inclusive playground in the CBD and it would be “fantastic” to see his dream become a reality.
“It’s expected the play space will include wonderful sensory elements, waterplay and features that encourage shared play and will be suitable for children and parents with wheelchairs,” Ms Lensink said.
The tender said the successful design would have to meet charity Touched by Olivia’s inclusive playspace guidelines, which included ensuring “everyone can play”.
Kenihan was an ambassador for Touched by Olivia – a national charity that works with councils, communities and corporations to upgrade or build inclusive playspaces.
Adelaide City Council Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor said Kenihan’s family and friends, council staff and the wider communtiy would contribute to the final design.
“This project is going to be of tremendous benefit to the community by providing a destination that celebrates the bringing together of people of all ages, abilities and cultures,” Ms Verschoor said.
“At this early stage of the project, timing for completion of construction of the play space is December next year.”
Touched by Olivia founder Justine Perkins said Kenihan would be proud of how the project had progressed.
“I think it is a wonderful legacy for Quentin and I think it is wonderful to put inclusive play on the agenda,” Ms Perkins said.
In August last year, Adelaide’s first disability-friendly playground, which cost almost $1 million, opened in Park Holme.
Construction on the Rymill Park playground should start this financial year.