CHENNAI : Most parks being built in the city aim to tick all parameters for easy access to common public, and include a few facilities for the disabled. But a new park, being constructed at Santhome by the Greater Chennai Corporation, intends to be exclusively for differently abled children.This initiative, spearheaded under the Smart City project, is being built on a budget of Rs 1.36 crores, and is said to be a first of its kind. The construction, which started around eight months ago, will be completed by November this year, said Corporation officials. “We planned this park in such a way that differently-abled, children and those with special needs have no difficulty in playing or moving around. General public is also welcome,” said the official.
He added that the government was searching for an ideal space for the past one year for this project. “This used to be a playground. We found it to be perfect for this project as the state resource centre of Sarva Siksha Abhiyan is located right next door,” said MLA R Natraj of Mylapore constituency, who is supervising the park.
Experts say that all parks should accommodate everyone, including children with physical and mental disabilities. “The ideal aim would be to make all parks this way. There are three such parks in Bengaluru, and one in Madurai. This park will set the standard for all parks in the city,” said Kavitha Krishnamurthy, social activist and founder of Kilikili, a group that works to make public spaces disabled friendly.