Lay summary
Children and young people with disabilities face substantial barriers to access and inclusion, with major implications for health and wellbeing. Social interaction and recreational participation beyond home and school are essential for healthy development, yet the built environment and social attitudes can undermine mobility and inclusion in daily life. In collaboration with NGOs in the disability sector, this study will work with children and young people with motor and sensory impairments and their parent/caregivers to understand their experiences of the public realm. It accepts the New Zealand Disability Strategy definition of disability as "the process which happens when one group of people create barriers by designing a world...taking no account of the impairments of others". We ask - how do various built, amenity and social environments constrain or facilitate access, mobility and inclusion, thereby influencing physical activity and social participation? This multi-methods study will be conducted in diverse Auckland neighbourhoods.