November 22, 2006
By Tammy O'Reilly
IF there's one thing that Johannesburg City Parks does better than greening the city, it's its annual celebration of International Day of the Disabled Person.
The day is celebrated worldwide on 3 December but since it falls on a Sunday this year, City Parks chose to host the event on Wednesday, 22 November.
It invited 570 children with disabilities, along with 200 caregivers, to the Johannesburg Botanic Gardens, which - to the delight of the children and adults - had been had been transformed into a fantasy fun land with a play area, clowns, celebrities, face painters and stilt walkers.
A white marquee was erected on the lawn overlooking Emmarentia Dam and, under it, the guests sat on blankets and were spoiled with entertainment, snacks, animal-shaped balloons, caps and T-shirts.
The children were bussed in from 17 centres across Johannesburg, like schools that cater for children with disabilities and centres that care for HIV-positive and orphaned children with disabilities.
Each centre went home with seeds and gardening tools to begin their own vegetable gardens, but the big surprise for the day was the announcement that each centre would also get a television set and DVD player.
"We are very grateful to City Parks," said an elated Nanele Mbatha, a senior practitioner at the Sunshine Centre in Jabavu. "We get invited every year and I can tell you the children look forward to this day from the beginning of the year."
Not one, but two Father Christmases were also present to hand out sweets and gifts to the children. Entertainer extraordinaire Zola put in an appearance and, judging from the reaction of the kids who showered him with hugs as he entered the marquee, he was no doubt the entertainment highlight of the day.
"A very big thank you goes out to Cell C and Fleet Africa for their sponsorship," said Luther Williamson, the managing director of City Parks. "They didn't ask about branding or publicity; they just agreed to come on board and for that we are very grateful."
International Day of the Disabled Person aims to promote the understanding of disability issues and to mobilise support for the dignity, rights and wellbeing of disabled people.
Caregivers from the various centres celebrate the news that they will be given a television and DVD player
"The event has been adopted by City Parks to increase awareness levels of the plight of the physically challenged in our society," reads a City Parks statement. "More importantly, the event is used as a platform to urge city planners, developers and the corporate sector to take into consideration the needs of the disabled person."
City Parks is committed to implementing policies, programmes and projects to promote public awareness and improve access to places for disabled people, it says.
So far, the Karabo Gwala Park, Johannesburg Botanic Gardens, Melville Koppies and Delta Park are some of the facilities that incorporate hiking trails, play equipment and touch and smell gardens for disabled people.
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