Sostenibilità
Italy: the first accessible playground is born in Milan
An association, a foundation, seven designers: its the joint venture that has allowed the realization of seven prototypes of games accessible to everyone, even to children with disability
Playing is a right to children. Too often though these words are not followed by facts. Expecially for children with disabilities. Slide, swing, even the merry-go-round of the local gardens are off limits for them: too many barriers.But now in Milan it has been decided to turn into reality the playground for everyone. How? Thanks to the Riccardo Catella Foundation and the Municipality, thanks to the ideas of seven internationally known designers, to Design Italia and to the consultancy of the charity L?Abilita? (The Ability).
The ?Playground of the children?s right? will open in Porta Nuova (an area in Milan) in spring 2009, but the prototypes of the seven games that will fit it out have been installed inside the public garden of the Catella Foundation as of 19th of April of this year. This way Milan conquers the leadership of the first playground in Italy for abled and diversely abled children. A completely accessible place that turns into game seven points of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child: a designer for each right. So Antonio Citterio has attended to the right to silence; Matali? Crasset to the right to smells; Stefano Giovannoni to the right to the wild; James Irvine to the right to inactivity; Gabriele Pezzini to the right to get dirty; Franco Raggi to the right to road and Tobia Repossi to the right to use hands. ?A very interesting idea not only because the issues were good, but also because the designers have been requested to develop concepts that from a planning point of view have revealed themselves as very stimulating? observes Valerio Castelli, president of Design Italia.?The choice of the designer has been done in a way to be representative at a generation level and the match has been decided by lot?, reminds Castelli.
To realize really accessible games, next to the designers it was necessary the experience of who is dealing for years with children with disability.?We started from the idea of the ?design for all?, trying to give some guidelines?, explains Carlo Riva, director of the association L?Abilita? that from its origins was concerned that the little disabled could play.
It was necessary to think about all disabilities, motorial, visual, mental backwardness? We tried to make every single installation as universal as possible. The idea of an accessible park is a goal: ?Underlying the right to play for children with disabilities is a fundamental step? precises Riva.
