Summer sun: the best warm weather activities for people with disabilities

Melbourne has been unfortunate to cop some serious rain in the past few weeks, but let’s hope the summer sun will come and dry out the deluge. And, whilst our summers can be unpredictable, there is also no better place to enjoy a gloriously golden Saturday with friends and loved ones.

The most reputable disability centre Melbourne has available will provide plenty of opportunities for people with disabilities to enjoy the summertime.

Such awesome activities include:

1. Get into the bay

Our very own city by the bay may not be known for its beaches (with some saying that they’re the worst of Australia’s major cities). However, this average rep is only relative to Australian standards - Melbourne beaches are still perfect for a hot summer’s day!

What’s more, swimming is a wonderful way for a person with a disability to experience the freedom that having special needs can occasionally inhibit. Accessible Beaches provides plenty of information about beaches with accessible amenities, beach wheelchairs and matting for wheelchairs, ensuring you can always find the perfect spot for a safe and refreshing dip.

There are endless options for indoor swimming, too, as most public pools are equipped to provide for people with disabilities. This includes hoists that lift your participant in and out of the water, accessible toilets, floatation belts, access ramps and a “wet wheelchair”. Many indoor swimming centres also offer activities and classes designed especially for people with special needs.

2. Get down to the park

Melbourne, whilst not having the most famous beaches in Australia, does have the country’s most impressive parks and gardens (we’re claiming it!). What’s even better is that there are a great number of spaces that have been thoughtfully designed to accommodate people living with disabilities, especially in terms of encouraging cognitive, physical and social play.

So, be sure to get down to one of the city’s fantastic and gorgeous parks or gardens that provides many opportunities for kids of all abilities to enjoy a summer day out.

3. Meet some furry friends!

Meeting animals is such a fun and exciting way to get out in the summer sun, as well as to provide many kids with disabilities a way to interact in a non-verbal way (e.g. giving the animals cuddles and petting them).

If your participant doesn’t have a family pet of their own, a great way to enjoy this experience is to head to an animal conservation centre or petting zoo, where your participant can interact with animals of all shapes and sizes including lambs, baby goats, rabbits and more!

Another fantastic activity to enjoy in the summer sunshine is horse riding, and thankfully many Victorian riding associations provide experiences for kids and people of all abilities to enjoy.

4. Keep cool with a fun indoors activity

Any Melbournian will tell you this: this city gets super hot the more the season goes on. Those late-January, early-February days, when the temperature reaches oh, somewhere around 43 degrees Celsius, is the perfect time to spend indoors and avoid going out at all!

But this doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of indoor activities you can enjoy with your participant, whether it be learning a new instrument, trying your hands at painting, or cooking a delicious meal using fresh seasonal ingredients right to the door in this heat, of course!).

Summer is a great time in our garden city, and the best time in the year for people of all abilities to get out and enjoy the fresh sunshine (when it’s not a La Niña weather pattern of course!).

So, take up horse riding, go for a swim, learn to paint - whatever the activity may be it will surely invigorate the good vibes and times spent with you and your participant!