All abilities park opens in Mount Isa
Students from Mount Isa Special School are enjoying the city's new $4.25 million family fun park which they helped to plan and design.
The park features a 3000-square-metre All Abilities Playground and is the first of 16 similar spaces to open across Queensland. The Department of Communities (Disability Services) project encourages participation of playground users, particularly children and families, at every stage of design in an effort to break down barriers to play.
Mount Isa Special School principal Sheina Treuel says council approached the school to get involved in the park's creation in 2007, presenting an initial design outline and pictures of different types of play equipment for student feedback.
"We were so excited to be involved in the selection of equipment which would allow all of our students to participate more actively," Sheina says.
Since opening in June, the water play area has reigned supreme as the number one attraction. Many of its 35 water features are interactive, including a touch-activated keyboard and animal sound sprays, tailored to meet the needs of children with varied levels of mobility and communication. Other park features include a wheelchair-accessible Liberty Swing, a double flying fox, junior and senior play areas, accessible toilets, outdoor showers and drinking fountains, plus perimeter fencing and 20 colourful shade sails.
Park designer Jessica Bennett says the playground features more than 70 pieces of play equipment, offering countless different play experiences.
"Children are still learning how things work and discovering different ways to play, so there's a constant sense of excitement in the playground," she says.
It is expected that the play space will become part of Mount Isa Special School's curriculum.
"We're already in the process of planning integrated units which will be developed around activities at the park," Sheina says.
"This will probably include exploring our local environment in terms of leisure activities, so that the students can learn and grow through play."
As well as contributing to the park's design, students created a butterfly-inspired painting which formed part of a 30-metre-long mural in the park's main playground area.
"We chose to do butterflies because many butterflies cannot hear and have limited vision, but incredibly they can still navigate and travel vast distances," Sheina explains.
"We all see the beauty in them beyond any disability they may have, which is the lasting impression that we wanted to leave."
Last reviewed: 20 October 2009