After the lockdown, Delhi has opened up fully and the first place that people of all age groups prefer to visit are the public parks which provide socializing opportunities while also maintaining the prescribed social distancing norms. In southern Delhi, there are 5 major public parks and hundreds of smaller community gardens.
The following public parks were visited:
and the following were checked.
- Open/Closed.
- The accessibility of the Entrance to the Park.
- The accessibility of Jogging Tracks.
- The accessibility of the Children Playing Equipments.
- The accessibility of the Open Gym Equipment.
- The accessibility of the Sitting Area for Senior Citizens.
- The accessibility of the Parking Area.
- The accessibility of the Toilets/Washrooms.
- The accessibility of Tactile Paths for the Visually-Impaired.
Here are the findings of the various accessibility features at the public parks listed above.
1. Lodhi Garden
There were ramps seen at every place that needed access to.
Children playing equipment had ramps for easy access via wheelchair
Some drinking water fountain and coolers were not accessible while others were accessible
All entrances to the garden were accessible to the differently-abled
All walkways throughout the garden were leveled for easy access to every part of the garden using a wheelchair.
The parking was accessible from the main road and also for entering the garden.
The toilets/washrooms had handrails to facilitate the differently-abled.
Some toilets/washrooms were not accessible.
2. Garden of Five Senses
Every part of the garden was accessible via hundreds of ramps.
Only one part of the garden called the Aram Bagh was not accessible at all.
The parking area was accessible from the road.
The ticket counter was accessible via a ramp.
The main entrance of the garden was accessible via a ramp.
3. Aravali Biodiversity Park
Various benches for resting placed along the jogging tracks were accessible.
The special sit-out area was accessible for a wheelchair.
The jogging tracks throughout the park was leveled and made accessible for the differently-abled using a wheelchair.
The main entrance gate was accessible using a wheelchair.
The drinking water facility was accessible using a wheelchair.
The tactile map of the garden’s jogging track was accessible for the visually-impaired.
4. Sundar Nursery
Walkways throughout the garden were at the same leveled or were provided with ramps to ease the movement for a wheelchair.
Toilet/washrooms were provided with ramps to ease the movement for a wheelchair.
Parking had ramps to ease the movement for a wheelchair.
Parking had reserved slots for the differently-abled visitors.
The ticket window had ramps to ease access for a wheelchair.
The main parking had a leveled entrance to ease the movement of the differently-abled visitors.
Toilets/washrooms had ramps to ease the entry of a wheelchair.
5. National Bonsai Park
Ramps were provided where necessary to ease the movement of the differently-abled visitors.
Toilets/washrooms had ramps to ease the movement of the differently-abled.
The main entrance had ramps to ease the entry of the differently-abled.
Conclusion
Public parks in Delhi are fully geared towards embracing the differently-abled in Delhi and though there were a few discontinuities, helpful people were always available nearby to ease the experience of the differently-abled.
This meetup was conducted as part of the Accessibility for All movement.
Here’s the link to the announcement and the invitation for the meetup.
BR
Tushar Suradkar
Delhi