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El Parque Ecudor, Chile
TURNING YOUR WORLD AROUND
Amusement for all! The parks where disability is not a handicap
Astrid González Nariño reports on how a selection of custom-desgned parks and playgrounds across Latin America are addressing UN goals on chidren’s rights, while over the page we take a look at a North American amusement park about to expand with the inclusion of a new accessible waterpark
Child. Article 31 of the latter states: "The children have the right to participate fully, on an equal footing, by appropriate opportunities, of recreation and leisure.” It gives me pleasure to report on efforts being made in Ecuador, Chile and Colombia, where a social commitment to children is taken very seriously, especially those who have some degree of disability.
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WWW.VEKOMA.COM FEBRUARY 2016
Parque Inclusivo Ecuador Founded in 2013 at an estimated cost of more than US$3 million, Parque Inclusivo is located in the city of Cuenca (population 300,000), which lies 434km southwest from Quito, capital of Columbia. A place of fun for children with disabilities, the park covers an area of 2.6 hectares and boats 57 games and activities including swings, slides, bridges, crawling tunnels and other diversions designed especially for children with mobility limitations and blindness.
n 1959, the United Nations (UN) proclaimed the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, which was followed in 1989 by the Convention on the Rights of the
The swings are equipped with harnesses and fully wheelchair accessible thanks to the installation of multiple ramps. Similarly, all games are the right height to allow participation by children in wheelchairs. Blind visitors can interact with panels that play music to stimulate their auditory senses, while gardens with about 10,000 plants stimulate the sense of smell. The park is part of the wider ‘Social Circus’ programme, which will eventually cover an area in Cuenca of 8 acres. According to spokesmen for the project, its purpose is “to raise awareness about the respect and attention deserved by children, especially those present with disabilities." From Monday through Friday, visitors to Parque Inclusivo
are made up of representing of institutions working in the area of disability. During weekends, the park is opened up for everyone but many guides are on hand to tell the guests how to use the facilities correctly. The park also encourages participation by children suffering from confidence and self- esteem, enabling them to develop healthily. This very worthy project is supported by Cuenca’s offices of Municipal Social Action,
El Parque Ecuador Chile The first inclusive park in Chile opened early last year in the city of Concepcion, capital of Bio Bio region, almost 500km from Santiago. The park was designed and developed by the local government and is part of a universal accessibility
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