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Cape Town - Cape Town has just announced the opening of its first
blind-friendly
park ahead of World Tourism Month, celebrated globally in September and
this year
centring on Universal Access (UA).
It stands to reason that as more destinations and tourism attractions
provide ways
for the sight, hearing and mobility impaired to enjoy them, the more the
industry
will benefit - as such the City of Cape Town has unveiled its first
blind-friendly
park in Bellville on Tuesday, 23 August.
The park has a unique design and special features, such as a scented
garden and acoustic
way-finding to assist children with limited or no vision to orientate
themselves
in this outdoor space.
Situated between Berol Street and Beroma Crescent, the park is within
walking distance
of the Athlone School for the Blind and has just been given a test run
by kids in
the area, receiving their vote of approval.
R1.1m used to transform sandy land into an inviting playground
Mosaic story on the seating benches at the park
The city announced that over the past five months, Transport for Cape
Town (TCT),
the City’s transport authority, has used approximately R1.1 million from
its budget
for non-motorised transport to transform this square of sandy land into
an inviting
playground.
"All children can play in the park. However, what makes this playground
different
is that we have used the same elements that you would find in other
parks and implemented
them in such a way so that children with limited vision or no sight can
find their
way between the different play areas. Thus, we have designed the park
with special
needs in mind and with the intention of giving these children the
opportunity to
interact with other children who are not visually impaired,’ says City’s
Mayoral
Committee Member: Transport for Cape Town, Councillor Brett Herron.
Apart from the input that was received from five community meetings,
officials also
engaged with the local ward councillors, the Athlone School for the
Blind, and a
mobility expert on how those with limited eye sight ‘read’ public spaces.
Scented garden with indigenous plants
Learners on the swings with the mosaic walls in the background
"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 Councillor 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.
Added to this, 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.
"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 Councillor Herron.
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