Blind children in Cape Town get to play in new park

23 August 2016 - 16:31 By TMG Digital

Acoustics‚ scented plants and mosaic materials have been used to transform a sandy patch of land into a playground for blind children in Cape Town.An initiative of the City of Cape Town‚ the park in Bellville is within walking distance of the Athlone School for the Blind.The design was conceptualised with input from the community‚ blind educators and a mobility expert to determine how those with limited eyesight “read” public spaces.City unveils Cape Town’s first blind-friendly outdoor park https://t.co/izPmKUE0EGpic.twitter.com/E0jHXtgct7— City of Cape Town (@CityofCT) August 23, 2016async“First of all we have divided the park into smaller play areas. To assist with navigation‚ we have created a scented garden with indigenous plants such as lavender‚ wild garlic and rosemary where the park borders on Beroma Crescent. Once the garden is established and the plants fully grown‚ they will release a fragrance as legs brush past‚ stimulating the smell organ‚’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member: Transport for Cape Town‚ Councillor Brett Herron.Low-seating walls‚ cutting across the park‚ assist with acoustic way-finding – the echoes enable one to determine your location through hearing as the sound of feet and walking sticks reverberate off the walls.An extensive relief mural has been installed on the seating walls.“Each mural tells a different story. For example‚ there is the story of how a seed or pod travels by wind and with the help of birds to the place where it will sprout and eventually bloom. Another mural tells the story of the worker bees‚ how they build their hives and care for the queen bee. The stories are depicted through mosaic‚ enabling those with impaired sight to ‘read’ the stories on the walls by following the mosaic- and tactile art with their fingers‚’ said Herron.A goal ball court‚ enclosed with a fence and seating walls‚ is situated in the northeastern corner of the park for a game played by blind people in particular. The court can also be used for other activities. Opposite the games court are trees and a lawn for picnics and informal games.A variety of paving materials‚ each leading to a different play area‚ guide the children to the following spaces:- a play area with asphalt humps for small bikes and scooters - an area with wooden play equipment‚ slides‚ and swings on rubber matting to stimulate balance‚ encourage mobility‚ build confidence and improve muscle tone - play equipment within a fenced area‚ making it easier to tend to pre-school children in what can be described as a separate ‘room’The playground was financed by Transport for Cape Town (TCT)‚ the City’s transport authority‚ at a cost of R1.1 million. TCT’s non-motorised transport programme is aimed at improving pedestrian facilities across Cape Town. As such‚ the park has been fitted with dropped kerbs and tactile paving...

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