Differently-abled friendly sensory park, a replicable model

On December 27, the tenders were opened for the sensory park project, a part of the Smart City initiative, and a senior Corporation official said that evaluation of the bids is currently underway. Explaining its significance, an official involved with the Smart City initiatives said, “The sensory park will be in inclusive space and the features will help children with disability access it. The learnings from this model park can be replicated, ensuring all other parks too, over time, are accessible.” 

Kavitha Krishnamoorthy, Founder of Kilikili, and who has been involved with the sensory park, said, “The Corporation approached the Disability Rights Alliance (DRA), to help them set-up this sensory park. The idea is to ensure an inclusive space where children with and without disability can play together,” said the member of DRA. 

The park’s features will include sensory pathways, wheelchair-friendly play areas and tactile equipment. “For example, we have an inclusive sand table, which is basically a sand pit, raised to the level of a table, so that children on wheelchairs can play here. For children with visual impairment, we are planning murals on the wall, which will be stories in braille. A sensory pathway will focus on providing different textures where children can walk. There will also be a bucket swing, shaped like an oversized diaper. Younger children can use this, as the seat will secure the child. We have kept in mind the needs for children with mobility impairment, visual impairment, hearing impairment, developmental disability such as autism and limited mental growth and children with sensory issues. The goal of the park is to ensure that children have fun, which will aid their development,” said Kavitha, who had earlier been a part of creating Madurai’s sensory park. 

It is not too difficult to make parks accessible to all children, said Kavitha. “Working for 11 years in Bengaluru, we have seen the interest grow in other cities. In many of our projects, we have worked within the available budget, adding modifications to the existing park structure. It is not a question of money, but imagination,” she added.