TIPS - Table of Contents

In 1992, the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) went into effect. This law requires that all public facilities, including child care, be accessible to individuals with disabilities. This means that family child care homes and child care centers are prohibited from discriminating against children or parents with special needs. All child care providers must be willing to make "reasonable accommodations" for children with special needs. So, even if a child with special needs has yet to apply to your program, it"s time to consider what you might do to adapt your environment. Accessibility does not mean that every part of a child care center or family child care home must be physically accessible, but you will need to insure that all program services are accessible. Usually, only slight modifications are necessary, such as rearranging furniture, play areas, or equipment. The goal of an accessible environment should be to send a welcoming message to each child. By making physical changes in your environment, you can promote access to activities and materials for all children. Even simple changes may help a child feel welcomed instead of being limited by obstacles and feeling overcome by frustration. 1 The following are areas you may want to consider looking at to insure your environments are accessible and welcoming. 2

Entry/Greeting Area

• Accessible parking
• Accessible path of travel which doesn't require the use of stairs. (Path should be at least 36 inches wide to accommodate wheel chairs)
• Children can identify their own personal space
  • Use textured labels for a child with visual handicaps
  • Lower labels to eye level for a child who uses a wheel chair
  • Use symbols or signs for a child with communication disabilities
  • Cubby or coat hook placed within easy reach of the child
  • Child can get from greeting area to other play areas without adult assistance

Snack/Meal Time Area

• Non-skid mat used as a place mat
• Eating utensils can be easily grasped to encourage self-feeding
• Child can get to the eating area without adult assistance
• Child is seated at eye level with the rest of the group

Outdoor Play Area

Evaluate your playground for possible barriers. Equipment should accommodate a wide range of play experiences, from sedentary to active, with several different levels of difficulty. You will want to discover what barriers might prevent a child with disabilities from using different equipment, and how you could reduce or eliminate these barriers. Offering extra physical support to enable child to use equipment is one option.

• Provide bucket seats, or straps at swings
• Place ramps over barriers and uneven surfaces
• Tie straps to tricycle pedals
• Place handholds and rails on climbing equipment
• Elevate the sandbox for children in wheelchairs
• Provide tactile markers to and from equipment to aid children with visual impairments
• Tie a lead rope from the classroom to the child's favorite outdoor areas

Bathroom Area

• Child can get to bathroom without adult assistance
• Size of toilet fits size of child, or has been adapted by use of step stool, to provide independent use
• Materials for hand washing are arranged to encourage active child participation

Fine Motor/Gross Motor/Dramatic Play and Creative Play Areas

• Child can get to, and play in the area without adult assistance
• Toys are developmentally appropriate and of interest to the child
• Toys are stored within easy reach of the child
• Toys are related to the play activity

Overall Environment

• Low-pile, tightly woven carpet, firmly attached along edges
• Uncluttered
• Ample space to move around
• Accessible signage
• Open Areas
• Closed areas

You may want to develop an implementation plan for adapting your environments. CESA 5 has developed a handout which can help you organize your environment.3 Once your environment allows for all children to be able to get to all parts of the room, you will also want to be sure that each child is situated as much like other children as possible. If other children are on the floor, then, if at all possible, the child with a disability should also be on the floor. To accomplish this, you may need to adapt by propping the child with pillows, or positioning in a beanbag chair. Children with visual impairments may need child care staff to orient them to their environment. This can be accomplished by simply encouraging them to touch and feel the toys, equipment and facilities. For children with hearing impairments, staff might try remaining in the child's field of vision so that they could gain the child's attention, if necessary. Staff should also explain to the rest of the class that they should use visual, and not verbal, clues to alert the child of danger, or to engage the child in play. Children with emotional problems need clear physical and behavioral boundaries. They may need close monitoring and additional explanations about the proper use of playground equipment. By modifying your environment, and providing appropriate guidance and support, you will open the doors to rewarding opportunities for all children within your program, and reach your goal of including every child in your daily routines. You will have created a child-centered environment which encourages children to feel a sense of control, and helps them to develop self confidence.

Footnotes:

1. Passages to Inclusion, 1995

2. Adapted from "The Child Ready Checklist: Making Child Care Programs Accessible for Young Children, available from the EHM Outreach Project, 52 North Corbin Hall, University of Montana, Missoula MT 59812

3. CESA 5, The Americans With Disabilities Act and Head Start: Practical Strategies For Developing Compliance Plans, Quarterly Resource

Volume 7, Issue 1 1992-93, 626 E. Slifer Street Portage, WI 53901