Wheelchair-accessible
playground comes to Bishan-Ang Mo Kio
SINGAPORE: A wheelchair-accessible swing and merry-go-round,
together with a special slide and sand table are among the features
introduced on Saturday (Aug 22) and Singapore's first inclusive
playground. It was officially opened by Minister for Social and
Family Development Tan Chuan-Jin.
Built at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, the playground is one of the 11 to
be built across Singapore by end-2017, said the National Parks
Board (NParks) and National Council of Social Service (NCSS). Six
of the 11 will be rolled out later by NParks in Admiralty Park,
Sengkang Riverside Park, Sun Plaza Park, East Coast Park, Jurong
Lake Gardens and Choa Chu Kang Park.
Two more - in Pasir Ris Park and West Coast Park - will be
rolled out by NParks and NCSS under the Care & Share Movement,
and another three upcoming playgrounds are collaborations between
NCSS and Town Councils.
The playground at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park is one of the few outcomes
under the Care & Share Movement, said NCSS. Under the Care
& Share Movement, the total proposed grant usage submitted by
more than 230 voluntary welfare organisations is S$202.3 million as
of May 31, it said. A total of 1,950 projects, which includes the
Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park inclusive playground, were submitted.
The grant allows VWOs to launch new programmes and expand
services, and implement projects that build capacity to cater to
more social needs.
ENCOURAGING INCLUSIVE PLAY
NParks and NCSS said that the inclusive playground provides the
physical structure that encourages play between children with and
without special needs, and will help children without special needs
to learn and accept differences and to be inclusive.
The playground at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park will allow
wheelchair-using children to mount onto a swing, and there will
also be a wheelchair-friendly merry-go-round. Other special
needs-friendly play features include a slide that provides
additional tactile stimulations using rollers, and an accessible
sand table.
To promote the use of the playground, NCSS will link up with its
network of VWOs, Early Intervention Programme for Infants &
Children (EIPIC) and special education schools with organisations
within the community on collaborative opportunities.
The NCSS is also exploring with VWOs on how inclusive play can
be considered when schools plan their curriculum or outdoor
activities, it said.
- CNA/av