Communication boards for children with disabilities to be installed in Laois playgrounds

Communication boards, signs with pictures to help people share messages, are to be installed in Laois playgrounds.

The boards are particularly helpful for children with disabilities or additional needs.

At its October meeting, Graiguecullen/Portarlington Municipal District noted that Laois County Council has ordered the communication boards and that they will be installed in phases over the coming months.

Fine Gael Cllr Vivienne Phelan commented on the installation of the boards: “Families with additional needs spend most of their lives waiting – waiting on appointments, waiting on schools, waiting on this, that and the other.

“So I’m glad to hear that it’s going to be started and actually erected in November, and I want to see them rolled out across the county as it was agreed.

The first six boards will be installed by the end of November in Ballyroan, Borris in Ossory, Stradbally, Portarlington, Portlaoise Leisure Centre and Timahoe playgrounds.

Cllr Phelan said the communication boards are “a small thing that we can do here in this council to make visiting playgrounds a happier and more inclusive experience for children and families around the county.”