Liferay’s Employee Volunteer Program Builds Sensory Playscape for Specially Abled Children

Liferay’s latest effort to create a fair and equitable society is being practised through its Employee Volunteer Program (EVP) by which Liferay India has built a sensory playscape for visually impaired children. The leadership at Liferay understands true progress in society is possible only when its neediest members are cared for. This is why its construction of a sensory playscape at Shree Ramana Maharishi Academy for the Blind was a vital step in creating a world where each is able to realize his or her fullest potential. The sensory playscape was built in partnership with Anthill Creations, an innovative developer of sustainable and interactive playscapes.

The earlier playground in Shree Ramana Maharishi Academy was in a dilapidated condition to the needs of specially-abled children. In conjunction with Liferay employees, Anthill Creations helped in creating a playground that links complementary activities. To create a feeling of familiarity among children, the playground equipment has been designed in the shape of common and recognizable objects. There are loose parts on the playground to facilitate imaginative play. The playground has accessible surfacing and sufficient space for manoeuvring. There is an optimum balance between the amount of elevated and ground level equipment such as ramps and transfer systems.

Equipment installed in the playground provides appropriate levels of challenges and risk, keeping in mind specially-abled children’s needs. Most importantly the playground is fitted with sensory stimulus activities and visual and tactile clues. For example, the playground has tyre sound chimes and swings that allow swinging, balancing, running, and broadcast musical rhythms. Drumming sets installed in the playground facilitate activities related to sound localization and allow children to listen to nursery rhymes.   

Textured walkways in the playground acquaint children to the sense f touch and feel of different textures allowing them to mentally map the playground. The entire playground has been mapped with textured pathways. Beneath seesaws in the playground, tyres are buried making the seesaw’s shockproof. Tyre tunnels made from tyres in the playground encourages the development of gross motor skills and help in crawling and interacting with peers. The tyres have different textures to facilitate easy mind mapping.   

Speaking about the newly created playground Mr Manish Gupta – Director of Liferay India said “At Liferay, we take our responsibility towards society and the EVP highlights this well. Employees at Liferay also participate in EVP willingly and our current collaboration with Anthill Creations to create a Sensory Playscape is an appropriate way for us to fulfil our obligation to society. All children deserve a happy and carefree childhood. By creating a sensory playscape at the Shree Ramana Maharishi Academy we’ve ensured visually impaired children, despite their disadvantages, enjoy their childhood playing in structures especially built for their needs.

“We’re very pleased that Liferay India decided to enliven further the lives of rambunctious young children. The children at our academy are exceptionally bright and active; they needed a playscape suited to their needs. Nothing makes those working at the academy happier than the laughter of the children enrolled here, over the next few years they, and the children, will have an abundance of joy. Those enrolled at the academy in all respects are like children elsewhere, they like to have fun and love playing. The new playground is allowing them to do both without being closely supervised and with no fear of injury. We look forward to continued contribution from Liferay so that we can sustain the momentum of this journey” said secretary SRMAB.

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