Occupational therapy practitioner and occupational therapy students knowledge of playground accessibility issues for children with physical disabilities

A survey questionnaire investigated our hypotheses: graduating students would have increase knowledge of current ADA legislation relating to playground accessibility compared to practicing pediatrics therapists and the presence of playground in the facility will make therapist more aware of ADA legislation relating to playground accessibility compared to a facility without a playground. Two hundred occupational therapists' and twenty occupational therapy students from the New York Metropolitan area were chosen for this study. A total of sixty-two responses were received. The results indicated that both of our hypotheses were neither supported nor rejected. There was no definitive answer to the question regarding amount of knowledge of ADA legislation relating to playgrounds. Similarly, there also was no correlation able to be deduced between occupational therapies working in a facility with a playground and knowledge of statutes and equipment needed in order for a playground to be fully accessible as compared to an occupational therapist not working in a facility with a playground. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...