Expected rollout of communication boards in Waterford playgrounds
Waterford City and County Council are currently looking into the rollout of communication boards in playgrounds across Waterford, according to local councillor, John Pratt.
A motion tabled at the November Waterford Plenary meeting saw Cllr Pratt call on the council to install visual communication boards in all public playgrounds, in order to make these playgrounds more accessible and friendly to non-verbal children.
Speaking with TheAvondhu, Cllr Pratt said he is continuing to push for the initiative after his motion received unanimous support.
“I am continuing to push for this and I hope to see it rolled out in the new year. The council are currently looking internally at what would be the most suitable communication board to use, and this is ongoing,” Cllr Pratt said.
According to the councillor, communication boards could be installed for a reasonable cost.
“This is about facilitating the needs of children across Waterford and making our public playgrounds accessible to all by allowing non-verbal children and children with verbal difficulties to communicate. I think a lot of local authorities are trying to put in place similar things to enhance playgrounds for children with disabilities. We need to help all people, whatever disability they may have,” Cllr Pratt said.