Skip to main content
  • Accessibility
  • Headlines
  • Coronavirus-News
  • Get-Hooked
  • Technology
  • Education
  • Employment
  • Parasports
  • Ask Bhavna
  • NHBrandView
  • Independent Living
  • Lifestyle
  • NH Videos
×
Newz Hook – Changing Attitudes towards Disability Logo
  • Stories
  • Videos
  • Inclusive
  • NH Voice
  • Login
COVID-19 Notification by Government in Accessible Format

Accessibility Tools

Text Size:

Contrast Scheme:

  • C
  • C

Reset

  • Home
  • Accessibility
  • Chennai’s largest disabled-friendly children’s park is open to the public

Chennai’s largest disabled-friendly children’s park is open to the public

Accessibility December 18, 2018
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)

From therapeutic walkways with different textures to a raised sand pit for wheelchair users, Chennai’s largest inclusive park has much to offer. The Infinity Park, built by the Greater Chennai Municipal Corporation under the Smart Cities project, was opened to the public on Monday to a rapturous reaction.

The park is located at San Thome over a sprawling area of 15,000 square feet. It is also the first such park to come up on an open ground, says Kavitha Krishnamurthy, the person behind Kilikili, the campaign that aims to make inclusive playgrounds the norm across India.

This park has come up on a completely open ground. In other places, we worked on existing parks, so we had to work within certain limitations. Here, we worked from scratch, so we could bring in ideas that we could not implement before like building everything on the ground level, using tactile markers and signages. – Kavitha Krishnamurthy, Founder, Kilikili

Thoughtful touches

The result is an inclusive park with many thoughtful touches for people across a wide age group. There are three zones – for 0 to eight years, children above eight years of age and for adults. There is even an herb garden that is accessible, says Jayashree Kamalan of CityWorks.

The herb garden can be accessed by wheelchair users and we have traditional table games that are ingrained in granite that can be accessed by people in wheelchairs.

“There is a basketball court with two hoops so people in wheelchairs can play the game too”, says Kamalan. “We also have an elevated sand pit for them because typically people in wheelchairs don’t get to play in the sand, so this is at table height. The floor has tactile tiles so blind and low vision people can access it”.

There are Braille signboards, wheelchair-friendly toilets, and in the future, a light and sound show. For children who feel overwhelmed by too much noise, like those with autism, there are quiet corners as well as a sheltered space.

The best news is that municipal authorities plan to build such parks in more areas. “It was such a great experience working with the civic authorities”, says Krishnamurthy, who has helped design such parks in many other cities. “We found the contractor and mid-level officials very committed to the idea. This was not just a project they had to implement”.

What makes this park so unique is that it has something for people in every age group, which is not the case with other inclusive parks, which mainly reach out to kids below the age of 10 years. Anuradha Srinivasan who has a 17-year-old son with autism, was among those present at the opening of The Infinity Park. “It is wonderful to see the facilities there. This is much needed and I am thrilled. It makes children and parents feel accepted and included. I hope they maintain it like this”.

The management of the park is likely be handed over to a private firm, so the maintenance and security aspect is dealt with better.

This is India’s eighth inclusive park, and hopefully a benchmark for what is to come.

ALSO READ:
Small touches help make a children’s park inclusive, Vishakhapatnam shows you how

Watch in Sign Language

Support us to make NewzHook Sustainable – Make a Contribution Today

We need your continued support to enable us work towards Changing Attitudes towards Disability. Help us in our attempt to share the voices of people with disabilities that enable them to participate in the society on an equal footing!

Contribute to Newz Hook

NH Videos

Healing pain through art - Dr. Anubha Mahajan, Founder Chronic Pain India

Contribue to Newz Hook |Disability news. Support us to make NewzHook Sustainable – Make a Contribution Today.

Newsletter

 Subscribe to our Newsletter

Want to feature disability stories or share disability news with the disabled community? Write to:

editor@newzhook.com

Newz Hook - Accessible News

Download App Now!

Videos

View More

Get-hooked

Understanding Socializing Benefits for Children with Autism

Parasports

#ThankYouTeacher - Coach Gaurav Khanna has scripted India’s biggest success stories in Deaf & Para Badminton

Get-hooked

Organic farmer with 90% disability cares for disabled children & those affected by the pandemic

Get-hooked

Cooking Without Looking TV show featuring visually impaired cooks conveys a powerful message about inclusion

Newz Hook Logo

About Newz Hook

Newz Hook | Disability News - media site focusing on Disability Stories and Changing Attitudes towards Disability globally. We highlight disability news, offer inclusive solutions and create accessible collaborations. Our focus is to have Inclusion Champions from across the globe who will share disability stories and news.
Lets come together to change attitudes towards disability!

Newz Hook is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Follow us on:

Related Links

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Partner with Newz Hook
  • Embed Newz Hook Timeline
  • Affiliate disclosure
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Contribute to Newz Hook

Our Awards

Zero Project Award Winner 2018
Back To Top
© 2019 All Right Reserved. Inclusive News India Private Limited.

Ask Bhavna

All fields are mandatory unless specified as optional.