Park coming up for specially abled kids

A space in Cubbon Park will soon have inclusive play equipment, and it is the first such initiative in Bengaluru

A therapeutic park for specially abled children is coming up at Bal Bhavan in Cubbon Park.

The ‘sensory’ park is set to open in early March and is being funded by Mindtree, an IT consulting firm in Bengaluru, as a corporate social responsibility initiative.

“The therapeutic park is the first of its kind in the city. It is going to have eight zones and will be accessible to all specially abled children,” says Abraham Moses, Head of Mindtree Foundation.

The therapeutic park is an outdoor space designed to meet the physical, psychological and social needs of the children, he adds.

The park will have disabled-friendly playing equipment, including wheelchair swings, see-saws, carousels, play panels and climbing areas. The project cost Rs 3 crore and the construction has been going on for about two months.

The planning for the project began over a year ago, says Chikkamma Basavaraj, chairperson, Bal Bhavan Society.

“We conducted meetings with various associations to understand the needs of the community,” she adds.

The space allotted at Bal Bhavan for the park is approximately 1 acre.

“We didn’t want to harm a single tree. Special measures have been taken to ensure this,” she says.

Bal Bhavan is also set to get a makeover soon, under the Bengaluru Smart City Project. Plantation work is currently underway in and around the centre.

Mahantesh G Kivadasannavar, founding manager and trustee, Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled, believes it is about time Bengaluru became more inclusive when it comes to specially abled people.

“The park is a step in the right direction as no such space currently exists in the city,” he says.

“Ideally, all of Cubbon Park, and other green spaces in Bengaluru, should be disabled friendly,” he says.