Disabled can park with senses, touch with braille

HOSHANGABAD: A spirit to connect people with disabilities to nature and common people around them took a step ahead at Hoshangabad district recently with the inauguration of Divyang Anubhuti Park whose makers claim it is the first of its kind in India.

The park is based on the idea to make physically challenged people aware about the things around them through sensation, smell, sound, and vision. The park was inaugurated on July 8. "The park seems to be like a dream come true for us. This was just an idea to give them a beautiful world where they can observe and understand whatever is happening around them," said Hoshangabad collector Sanket Bhondve. Right from the entrance it begins with a slope along with a railing having braille direction inscribed on them at turning points.

The park has been decorated with 42 different kinds of plants from all over the world, depicting their botanical names, roman names and their description in braille. These include both ornamental and medicinal plants.

Ashish Chatterji, a social activist and one of the brains behind park, said, "Right from the entrance to the garden the park has been made properly accessible to every kind of people. Natural music plays all the time to keep the ambience soulful. Environment here is close to nature to help in sensory stimulation. A German xylophone has been placed in park to make people with autism or other disabilities to get a sensation through music."

"I myself have witnessed the problems faced by disabled and so it was easier for me to create a list of what is required for the people coming here. We sat together and this was the result. We are really happy for it," said Chatterji while talking to TOI. The wall around the park has been used to create awareness about differently abled people with different pictorial descriptions of their life. A sensory section has been created with the help of pebbles, gravels, sand and acupressure space. The park is under surveillance 24x7. A section to spread awareness about modern equipment in market for people with disabilities has also been created.