A fundamental part of a child’s development is the ability to participate in physical, social, and emotional play. However, play can be limited for children with certain disabilities because of environmental barriers, especially on the playground. This project provided an educational manual for the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd building committee and church council which will enable them to learn about, appreciate and implement universal design principles when creating a playground that meets the needs of all children, including those with disabilities affected by environmental barriers. The manual provides information about the impact of mental and physical disabilities on play and gives an overall background on universal design principles and how those principles might be applied to a playground setting to encourage play for children with and without disabilities
