Ghiotto: An Inclusive Boccia Ramp Designed to Bring Children With and Without Disabilities Together

Inclusive Boccia Ramp

Ghiotto is an inclusive boccia ramp created to strengthen social interaction among children with and without disabilities in school environments. Designed by Diego Reggiani as part of a university design laboratory at Politecnico di Milano, the project was shortlisted for the iF Design Student Award. Rooted in universal design principles, Ghiotto aims to address a meaningful challenge: helping wheelchair-using children connect, play, and build relationships from an early age.

Play serves as a powerful medium for inclusion. Through shared games, children develop empathy, communication, and collaboration—skills that help reduce the social isolation many disabled adults continue to face. Beyond social impact, the ramp also supports the development of fine and gross motor skills, offering functional benefits that carry into daily life.

Designed Specifically for Children

Traditional boccia ramps are often heavy, technical, and limited in adjustability. Ghiotto reimagines this format with a lightweight wooden structure and a simple, intuitive tilting mechanism. A pivot pin and a series of structural cuts allow children to effortlessly adjust the ramp’s angle, giving them more direct control over the game.

To make the experience even more accessible, the design incorporates a dedicated area for organizing boccia balls, keeping everything neat, visible, and within easy reach. The dimensional choices were guided by anthropometric data from both wheelchair users and non-disabled children to ensure comfort and usability for everyone.

Six-Position Ramp That Encourages Creativity

Because boccia is inherently simple and accessible, Ghiotto becomes more than just a tool—it becomes a creative play device. Children can explore different ways of launching the ball, invent their own rules, or experiment with unique challenges. The ramp's inclination can be set into six different angles, offering a 35-degree range of motion controlled through a pivot pin engaging with a notched groove.

From a construction perspective, Ghiotto showcases an intelligent combination of joinery techniques.

• A mortise and tenon joint connects the arch to the base, providing structural strength without raising production costs.

• A dowel-and-screw system, inspired by furniture manufacturing, secures the side panels that store the boccia balls. A top-mounted locking bolt ensures long-term horizontal stability.

• The launch tube includes side perforations fitted with conical-head screws and reinforced inserts, preventing loosening over time.

Altogether, Ghiotto transforms boccia into an inclusive, intuitive, and enduring play experience that welcomes every child—regardless of physical ability.

Written by Otávio Santiago, a visual designer whose work blends clarity, rhythm, and storytelling. Between Berlin and Lisbon, he creates across print, motion, branding, and immersive 3D environments.