They serve as a permeable fence for the garden

The visually-impaired children can identify them either by smell or touch. “We will also be putting up statues and a sound system that will guide the visitors. Lucknow: Dr Shakuntala Misra National Rehabilitation University (SMNRU) in Lucknow is planning to set up a unique sensory park where blind persons can identify flowers and plants by touching them or smelling them.

The National Institute of Persons with Multiple Disabilities (NIPMAD) in Chennai has designed the project report for the park. They serve as a permeable fence for the garden. Bamboo chimes will also be a part of the garden. According to Dr Nitish Rai, vice-chancellor of the SMNRU, the garden is being designed keeping in mind the needs of differently-abled children.

The garden will have pathways of gravel, flowing water, wooden floors, sand pits and grass that will guide the visually impaired through the garden. We also plan to teach the children about the basics of gardening,” Dr Rai said. The idea is to enable visually impaired children and those with special abilities to move outdoors. This will help in stimulating the senses of a child.Furthermore, the garden will mainly focus on developing the four senses — visual (for partially blind), auditory, olfactory and the sense of touch. The sound of flowing water will take them to one section while the gravel path will guide them to another.This will be the first sensory park to come up in Uttar Pradesh, which has a population of over 16 lakh of visually impaired people — the highest in the country. A water play area is also proposed.

The sensory park provides an opportunity for children to experience different sensory stimulations through spaces created for stimulus, response, learning and memory. | AMITA VERMA Published: Jul 8, 2017, 6:48 am IST Updated: Jul 8, 2017, 6:48 am IST The garden will have pathways of gravel, flowing water, wooden floors, sand pits and grass that will guide the visually impaired through the garden. Children can go under it, see through it and feel the texture. But they can enjoy outdoor life in this park. Such persons are usually confined to their rooms and houses, which lead to shyness and develop a withdrawal tendency in them.The university is taking the help of local botanical experts to identify the trees and plants that are to be planted.Professor Rajni Ranjan Singh, a faculty member in Grommet Manufacturers the special education department, said, “The type of plants in the garden will also be unique. Plants that can be identified by—the rubber plant for instance — will also find a place in the garden”.  

Dr Rai explained that a child with a disability has difficulties in understanding or has limited experiences of interaction, which results in delay in sensory integration. The garden will have pathways of gravel, flowing water, wooden floors, sand pits and grass that will guide the visually impaired through the garden.