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The newly opened Luke’s Place passed the biggest test when it got the thumbs up from children of all abilities.
The Illawarra’s second inclusive playground was given a test run on March 27 by some of the local schools students who helped design it.
The playground, in Corrimal Memorial Park, is designed to let all children play side by side. As well as the wheelchair-friendly carousel, it has colour-coded, textured sections for visually impaired children, areas where hearing-impaired children can interact with noise and vibration, and different active and quiet zones, including a water-play area for children with autism or other cognitive disorders.
The playground was designed with input from local children with disabilities, schools and other community members.
It was named in honour of Corrimal four-year-old Luke Rapley, whose parents Sean and Rita pushed for the park to be built so that their son, diagnosed with multiple disabilities, could play with other children in a safe environment.
‘‘All children should have the opportunity to play, have fun in a park or playground and be among friends, and the opening of Luke’s Place makes this possible for the children in our area,’’ Wollongong Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery said.
The $250,000 playground was jointly funded by Wollongong City Council and the Touched by Olivia Foundation, with support from the state government, community groups and individuals.