22 inclusive playgrounds built in the framework of Szerencsejáték Zrt’s program “Playing connects”

Disability should not be a barrier! This is a commitment shared by all the employees of the National Lottery, and the fact that the company’s philosophy of inclusion goes back almost 20 years is testament to this enduring commitment.

The tangible result of this mindset is that, thanks to the support of Szerencsejáték Zrt., a total of twenty-two inclusive playgrounds have been built in Budapest and in rural areas across the country since 2017, which the national lottery company has undertaken to build from a share of the proceeds from the Christmas charity scratch card. One in fourteen minors in Hungary is living with some form of disability, thus this programme focuses on children.

The sites for our 2022 playground programme will be Pécel, Pomáz, Szekszárd and Szolnok.

The special feature of these playgrounds is that children with disabilities can play together with their able-bodied peers, because, as the programme says, “what truly matters is not what separates us, but what unites us“.

The playgrounds are built in full compliance with the rules of universal design, in close professional collaboration with the Budapest Association of Persons with Physical Disabilities.

In addition to ensuring that disabled (atypical) and able-bodied (typical) children are able to play together, the selection of play sets also concentrated on the need to install equipment that would appeal to a wide age range.

As part of this awareness-raising effort, Szerencsejáték Zrt. launched a wide-ranging communication campaign this autumn focusing on the inclusion, as well as the successful and happy adulthood of children living with disabilities. The “Join us for an accessible future” campaign is based on the principle of “nothing about us, without us” to promote the importance of awareness-raising by involving stakeholders.

The campaign builds on the personal story of World, European and Paralympic champion swimmer Fanni Illés, to show that barriers can be broken down through acceptance, the support of family and the wider community. In addition to the promotional film, an extraordinary video series has also been produced this year, portraying the lives of both known and lesser-known people affected and raising issues that have so far been considered to be taboo.

They believe that the shared experiences and the joy of playing together will make able-bodied children more inclusive and open-minded, and that they will in turn, be able to pass on this approach as adults in their daily lives, at work and of course to their own children. For children living with disabilities, it is important to grow up in an accepting and inclusive environment to be successful and happy adults. This is what the company wants to contribute to with its own means. This long-term programme, which is set to continue next year, will already reach 20,000 children with the opportunity to play together.

Further details: https://rolunk.szerencsejatek.hu/hu/a-jatek-osszekot