Sensory park -Chennai Corporation

A sensory park, as the name implies, focuses on features that attract multiple senses of an individual. These are specialized parks for all kinds of visitors with special emphasis on children with disabilities. The purpose of such an initiative is to provide individual & combined sensory opportunities to the users who may not have had such an experience so far.

A sensory garden, for example, contains features that are accessible to the differently-abled individuals. These features include scented and edible plants, tactile sculptures and sculpted handrails, water features designed to make sound and play over the hands, textured touch-pads, magnifying-glass screens, Braille signage and audio induction loop descriptions. Depending on the user group, other provisions may further integrate sound and music, more centrally to combine the play needs of younger users with their respective sensory access.

The Park department of Greater Chennai Corporation has proposed to establish a model Sensory Park at Santhome in GCC land. This park has been constructed under the Chennai Smart City Project, measuring around 1500 sq.meters. A way forward with inclusive governance and recreational infrastructure for the citizens of Chennai, the park excels with the standards of its own kind. The design and layout of the park provides a stimulating journey through the senses and heightening awareness that bring positive learning experiences.

The sensory parks built by the Chennai Smart City project have specially designed infrastructure to cater to the special needs of the differently-abled children of the city. The infrastructure is so designed to stimulate different sensory organs of the participants, giving them the one of its kind experience. Some of the proposed infrastructural facilities of the park are: