Camillian Home gets country's first wheelchair friendly playground
Can you imagine what it feels like for a wheelchair-bound child to enter a playground only to realise that it wasn't designed for handicapped kids?
That’s what volunteer Faisal Malik realised when he saw how difficult it was for many of the children of Camillian Home to play in both public and private playgrounds in Bangkok.
Based on his research and knowledge of inclusive playgrounds that already exist in Western countries like the US, Canada and Australia, Faisal came up with a design and proposal to build Thailand’s first wheelchair-accessible playground at Camillian Home, a registered non-profit children’s charity in Lat Krabang.
The unique facility is designed to allow each child to receive specialised care and treatment in an environment that encourages and develops their capabilities, regardless of the severity of their condition.
Camillian Home is an orphanage, school, day-care centre and home for poor and disabled children founded by Father Giovani Contarin, an Italian priest who has done extensive work for the poor in Thailand over the past 27 years.
It started with just five children and now cares for over 75 children divided into residents, day-care charges and Saturday programme members. Foreign and local volunteers and staff work with children who are living with disabilities or HIV/Aids and those who have been orphaned or abandoned, in eight districts in Bangkok.
Early this month, Camillian Home said it had completed the country’s first inclusive playground and sensory garden project. This specially designed playground allows children in wheelchairs to play with their friends, while the aquatic therapy pool completed a year ago enables therapists to work with disabled children to improve their motor skills.
The entire inclusive playground and sensory garden project was fully sponsored by PL Design, Meinhardt, Mead Johnson Nutrition, Southwest Greens Thailand and the embassies of Canada and Luxembourg.
Camillian Home is now constructing an extension, which will cost about Bt18 million. With very little support coming from the government, the charity has to rely on donations to sponsor construction materials and equipment for the new wing.
