The Play Well Podcast 49 - Inclusive Play Equipment
Oct 1, 2025
Paul Hoenigmann, Managing Director of Inclusive Play, is on a mission to revolutionize outdoor play spaces. He discusses the importance of inclusive design, emphasizing that play should be accessible for every child, regardless of ability. With a focus on barrier-free principles, he shares how consultations with families and experts influence innovative designs. Paul dives into the necessity of infrastructure alongside equipment for true inclusion and highlights his experiences breaking into the US market, advocating for intergenerational play that unites families.
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From Subsidiary To Inclusive Play Specialist
- Paul describes buying into Jupiter Play and spinning Inclusive Play out as its own focus so they could design solely for inclusion.
- He recounts growing the small business, exporting widely, and finding it fun and challenging.
Design Inclusion From The Ground Up
- Inclusive Play builds products from first principles around access, not as add-ons to mainstream equipment.
- Their designs consider senses, transfer heights, and family co-play to avoid tokenistic solutions.
Consult Lived Experience Early
- Consult families, parents' groups, and disability charities when designing inclusive equipment.
- Listen to lived experience and fund independent voices to guide practical, usable designs.