Cubbon Park gets a facility for diasbled children

NT Correspondent
Bengaluru

Four-year-old Jyoti, who moves on a wheelchair, was visibly excited after seeing a special swing in Cubbon Park on Saturday. She didn’t waste time as she rolled her wheelchair into the slider and swung into action at the exclusive public playground for physically disabled children.

The playground, set up at the Jawahar Bal Bhavan inside the park with the support of Mind- Tree, was inaugurated by Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Saturday.

The children and their parents were all praise for the facility. “My kid cannot walk on her own, but she is enjoying the park. The swings here are broad and have support from the back. There is also a slider where the wheelchair can get inside the swing. It seems to be safe,” said Jyoti’s mother.

Parents said the facility will make children happy as the city does not have any other disabledfriendly public parks. “There are no ramps in most of the playgrounds in Bengaluru and we always have to search for other options,” said Krishna, parent of a child with cerebral palsy. “My child finds it difficult to move out and I cannot take him anywhere if I do not have help,” she added.

As most of the other parks are not accessible, socialization becomes difficult for physically disabled children. “He needed to find a space where he could play with kids of his age. I think this special park will be helpful for him,” she said. The park is covered with Tactile pathways (a system of textured ground surface indicators) to help visually impaired children.

“These tactile pathways will help visually impaired kids to navigate their way around the park,” said a trainer at the park. The park is expected to benefit around 2.4 lakh children in the city. The park is designed to provide a safe and inclusive space to children with multiple forms of disability. Also, all playing surfaces are made from non-toxic, skid-proof rubber to minimise injuries.

Governor Gehlot, said, “This park will help children develop emotional and social skills. Disabled children have to face many obstacles in life, and the government must provide safe spaces for them. This park will give an inclusive and accessible environment to disabled kids.”

The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, states that the government should ensure equal participation of children with disabilities in play and sporting activities and should redesign sports infrastructure with their needs in mind.