• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.47-65
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• 2002

The purpose of this paper is to study and propose playground facilities for physically challenged children to cultivate adaptability in society and advances the opportunity of participate in physical exercise. This study carried out site investigations by visiting and inspecting various facilities: a recreational walking path for physically challenged people, a care facility for physically challenged children, a special school for physically challenged children, and "Madel Park", a private-use playground for physically challenged children. The result of the site investigation found that, overall, play facilities are difficult to use for physically challenged children. In addition, because park space is often small and narrow, children who are restricted to wheelchairs find it impossible to access such facilities. By carefully inspecting each of the facilities, the author found suitable elements to apply for outside play space. These elements include the introduction of an essential slope way to allow for safe movement, the provision of special seats which support the body to outside play equipment and the adaptation of treatment room instruments that assist balance to outdoor playground facilities. On the basis of the site investigation the interview and the indoor education program for physically challenged children the author completed an outside play program. Each item in this program was classified as belonging to either a "sense play" program or and "exercise play" program. Finally, the author designed suitable play equipment for physically challenged children corresponding to each item in the exercise programs in order to research the appropriateness of the equipment to its intended use. This research is the first step. From this point the author expects that specific applications will be developed through a practical space plan and sufficient clinical experiments involving use of the new equipment.