Abstract
Objective: The purpose of this study; to identify the design criteria to be considered in school playground design by emphasizing the importance of school gardens on children with disabilities. As a result, with the focus on the present situation of special education school gardens in Turkey has brought suggestions for these areas to be more efficient.
Materials and Methods: While conducting the study, a literatüre review was made on the necessary subjects, the designs of school gardens from around the World were examined, and the data obtained were compiled and design criteria for barrier-free school gardens were presented.
Results: School gardens are important for the development of disabled children, who cannot participate in many parts of society, and for their participation in society. Looking at school garden designs from around the world, it becomes clear that they are designed taking into account certain criteria for children's development and communication with nature.
Conclusion: In the design of special education school gardens in Turkey, the needs of children with disabilities are ignored and arrangements are not made to contribute to their development. Many of the problems in the design of special education school gardens are due to the fact that children with disabilities are designed without taking into account the types of obstacles, needs and requirements. In order to eliminate the problem of the inability of disabled children to use special education school gardens, designers must design and implement them in accordance with universal design principles, taking into account children with disabilities. It is also of great importance for the government to examine special education schoolyards in terms of their suitability for the use of children with disabilities and to determine the necessary design criteria for solving this problem. Importance for the development of the school yard special education of children with disabilities, as well as to hold on to the life of individuals with disabilities, their families, society and the role of the state in otekilestiren arrangements, behaviors, words, and designs should be avoided everyone for their reintegration make the best of it. Accessibility in the design of the school playground for children with disabilities and accessibility, ergonomics and usability, venues and activities that support the design of physical activity on school grounds, on school grounds gardens and nature education application, designed for children with disabilities to socialize, activities, designed to appeal to the senses of children with disabilities in different areas, plant selection criteria should be taken into consideration. According to the types of disabilities of children and these criteria, it is possible to design a ‘school garden without obstacles’ that will respond to their needs and contribute to their development in a psychological, physical and social sense.