Park scheme offers disabled children more variety in play

A “wheelchair challenge”, with a spiral path going up a hill, and wheel-chair friendly trampoline and roundabouts are being installed close to the main children’s play area in East Park.

A specially-designed water play feature is being added to the popular stream and paddling pool.

Meanwhile an underused part of the park in the north-east corner, near the rugby pitch, will become home to a sensory garden aimed at children with severe and complex needs.

A consultation event is being held tomorrow with designers Alex Hallowes and Pete Rogers, from Xceptional Designs, on hand.

Chris Snell, play service development manager, said: “Something we wanted to do was to do something tactile for kids with sight difficulties.

“We want to get ideas from kids and families with disabilities.

“The sort of things the artists are talking about is maybe something where you pull a lever and something happens, maybe something imprinted in Braille, it could be lines from a poem or animal imprints.

“We want people to come along and give their ideas to the artists.

“Everything is designed so that it’s exciting for kids with multiple disabilities but can be used by other children as well.

“Kids said to us they don’t want an exclusive area, they want to play alongside their friends and other kids.”

The event will take place from 10am until 4pm at the East Park Pavilion.