Our Year 7/8 students officially celebrated the installation of two community communication boards with a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Cougars Playground in Maitland.
The project was the culmination of a term long Learning Expedition exploring accessibility, inclusion and disability awareness. Students investigated barriers experienced by people with disabilities, audited accessibility within the school and local community, researched Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), consulted with community members and explored ways they could make a meaningful difference.
After identifying a need for communication supports in local playgrounds, students planned and led a fundraising campaign to purchase communication boards. Their efforts raised enough funds to install two boards, with one located at the Cougars Playground and the second at the Maitland Apex Playground.
The communication boards provide children who are non verbal or experience communication difficulties with a way to communicate, interact and participate in play.
Thank you to everyone who attended the ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate this significant achievement, and to Nick Perry from Maitland Council for supporting the project from its early stages. The students’ commitment, teamwork and advocacy have created a lasting resource that will help make Maitland’s playgrounds more inclusive for years to come.
