Mumbai: Exclusive open space for specially abled persons to be inaugurated at Jogger’s Park today

A wheelchair merry-go-round at the park.

Jogger’s Park, now renamed as Sir Oliver Andrade Park, falls under the jurisdiction of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

The fund for this project has been raised through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and is being backed by I Love Mumbai Foundation. Rahul Kanal, president of this foundation, said that this will be Mumbai’s first open space that is being created exclusively for the disabled friendly population.

The park will be inaugurated by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray.

“There will be 32 rides such as swings, slopes and hand balls in the park that has been designed in a specific manner to make it feasible for the specially abled. Each ride and gym apparatus has been customised and the swings and slopes designed in a way that it fits the dimensions of wheel chairs easily,” said Kanal. He pointed out that the entire funding for the project has been raised through CSR, adding not a single penny from the BMC’s kitty has been used for the project despite the premises being a civic plot.

The cost of the project is pegged at Rs 30 lakh, out of which Rs 9 lakh has been spent on flooring.
Civic officials said that initially, the premises was a plot with mud and soil surface. This was later concretised following which piling works were done for installation of various apparatuses. Once the apparatuses were installed, flooring was carried out by using mat and rubber.

“We have opted for rubber padded flooring as a precautionary measure so that nobody gets hurt by falling down. There are one or two parks in Mumbai which have a few disabled-friendly apparatus but this is the first park in Mumbai that has been exclusively designed for special needs kids,” Kanal said.

Further elaborating on the features at the park, Kanal said, “Wheelchair-bound children will get to take a merry-go-round ride and use the swing along with their wheelchair. There is latching gear on rides to ensure safety. Typical board games have been designed in a customised way so that they are hanging and these children are able to play those games with each other.”

Arc ball facility at the park.

Former local corporator Asif Zakaria said, “It is a welcome move to see that parks in Mumbai are being made more inclusive by addressing needs of children with special needs. BMC should try and replicate it in all parks.”

Civic officials said that the walls of the premises have been designed with granite and ramps have been constructed at the entry and exit points for convenience of the visitors.

Notably, earlier in May this year, a proposal for creating a play park for special needs children was floated by the BMC. The park was supposed to come up in Juhu. However, following complaints from local residents, the project was stalled by local K/West ward of the BMC.