In February 2026, a five-year-old girl with cerebral palsy was allegedly stopped from playing on a swing at a Delhi nursery. According to media reports, a guard referred to the child and said, “Iska dimaag theek nahi hai.” The family was reportedly asked to leave, citing safety reasons. The video went viral. Outrage followed. For many parents of children with disabilities, however, the moment felt familiar. Public parks in India are rarely designed with their children in mind. Narrow gates, uneven ground and standard swings quietly communicate who belongs and who does not. It is against this backdrop that Umang Vatika, a sensory park for children with neurodevelopmental needs, opened at Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi on 9 January 2026. Developed by ASTHA (Alternative Strategies for the Handicapped) in collaboration with the hospital’s paediatric neurology division and supported by the R Squared Foundation, the park sits adjacent to the paediatric inpatient department. Its purpose is clear: to ensure that children with disabilities are not excluded from something as fundamental as play. (A sensory park is designed to engage children through touch, movement, texture, sound and visual elements. For children with conditions such as autism, cerebral palsy or developmental delays, these experiences can support balance, coordination and emotional regulation, while encouraging social interaction. Unlike standard playgrounds, sensory parks use adaptive design to reduce physical barriers and create spaces where children with different abilities can explore safely and alongside their peers.) The park supports children with cerebral palsy, autism, visual impairment, and other developmental disabilities. Photograph: (Pratik Aggarwal) A five-year dream rooted in hospital corridors “For me personally, this has been over a five-year dream,” says Pratik Aggarwal, executive director of ASTHA, a community-based organisation founded in 1993 that works with people with disabilities in Delhi’s urban slums. He traces the idea back to 2017. “On my first birthday in the organisation, I didn’t celebrate because we had a young child with cerebral palsy who had kidney failure. I spent the day going through hospitals with her mother and my community officer to understand the situation. That was when I realised there was no real space for children with disabilities.” The experience stayed with him. Over the years, Pratik and his team accompanied several children through long hospital stays, navigating medical systems, paperwork and uncertainty. In ward after ward, he noticed the same thing. “It made me question why hospital spaces had to feel so grave for our kids. Even if their condition may or may not improve, their lives should still be filled with dignity and joy.” That question slowly grew into a vision: a play space inside a hospital where children could experience lightness alongside treatment. The first few years were devoted to research and reflection. In mid-2022, Pratik connected with Kavitha Krishnamoorthy of Kilikili , an organisation that has worked on inclusive play spaces since 2006. Her experience helped refine the concept further. When the right people came together The challenge was not just designing the park. It was finding the right location. At the time, ASTHA was conducting monthly camps at Safdarjung Hospital to help families obtain their UDID (Unique Disability ID) cards. Their volunteers were already present on campus. They had working relationships with hospital staff. In a conversation with the hospital’s medical social welfare officer, the idea surfaced: why not build the park here? Several factors aligned. ASTHA had an existing presence. The hospital administration was willing to explore the proposal and offer space. Most importantly, the paediatric neurology department regularly treats children with developmental delays who could directly benefit from a sensory play environment. Umang Vatika is a joint effort by Safdarjung Hospital, R Squared Foundation and ASTHA, led by years of coordination by Pratik Aggarwal. Photograph: (Pratik Aggarwal) The hospital agreed to the idea in September 2024. What followed was a careful process of permissions and preparation. Officials had to determine how the land could be used and whether it fell under green zone regulations. By December 2024, the area identified for the park was cleared, and in May 2025, boundary walls were constructed. The hospital’s central public works department reorganised sewage lines, electrical systems and water pipelines, and carried out pest control measures to prepare the 2,500-square-foot site. The Central Public Works Department reorganised sewage, electrical and water lines, and completed pest control to safely prepare the site. Photograph: (Pratik Aggarwal) Around the same time, the R Squared Foundation came on board as the project sponsor. Founded by a Delhi-based family now living in the United States, the foundation supports mental health education and related resources for children and young adults. Their support turned the vision into a public-private partnership between a government hospital and a civil society organisation backed by private philanthropy. Even then, the design process demanded patience. One architect stepped away due to creative differences. Another proposal felt too commercial. “Some people suggested installing just two or three swings for limited disabilities,” Pratik recalls. “But I wanted it to be as inclusive and expansive as possible because I might not get this opportunity again.” Learning from lived experience Kavitha’s work in inclusive play began at home. Her son has a seizure disorder and features of autism. When he was young, doctors consistently emphasised the importance of play in a child’s development. “Everyone would say play is almost the first language of children,” she recalls. “But nobody was thinking about how to make play accessible for children with disabilities.” This realisation led to the founding of Kilikili. Since then, the organisation has helped create more than 10 inclusive parks . Kilikili’s work begins with listening. Children test spaces, parents flag practical concerns, and therapists suggest adjustments. The design evolves from real use. For a hospital, that meant thinking differently. The park had to be safe, manageable and sensitive to children who were in treatment. So the team reworked their approach to suit the space. Designed for many kinds of bodies and minds Umang Vatika brings together accessibility and sensory elements in one space. A traditional merry-go-round has been modified to accommodate wheelchairs so that a child using one can spin alongside peers. A large square swing allows an entire wheelchair to roll in securely. Bucket swings provide added trunk and lower-body support for children with low muscle tone. Two sandpits cater to different needs. One is raised to wheelchair height, while the other sits at ground level. Sand offers tactile stimulation through texture and weight, which can benefit children seeking sensory input. A sensory pathway with grass and pebbles encourages barefoot exploration. A tyre tunnel supports left-right coordination for children with developmental delays. A sensory wall with crawl-through openings invites interactive movement. The specially designed swings allow wheelchairs to roll in, so children can spin and play alongside peers. Photograph: (Pratik Aggarwal) The flooring uses Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer rubber, commonly known as EPDM, to provide cushioning in case of falls. For children with visual impairment, QR codes placed near the murals can be scanned by caregivers to access audio descriptions developed with the help of MBBS students. The murals themselves carry an intentional message. Stories such as the hare and the tortoise or the lion and the mouse are depicted to illustrate that strengths differ. Astronaut imagery signals aspiration, suggesting that children with disabilities can imagine futures as vast as anyone else’s. When play becomes part of healing Professor Rachna Sehgal, paediatric neurologist at Safdarjung Hospital, sees the park as integral to care. “Children usually fear hospitals because of injections and procedures. Now, knowing there is a park to visit gives them something to look forward to,” she says. The park operates from 9 am to 4 pm under supervision. Around 15 to 16 children can be inside at a time, accompanied by caregivers and staff to ensure safety and prevent overcrowding. Currently, access is limited to children from the inpatient department. Play builds physical strength, social skills, confidence, and emotional resilience in every child. Photograph: (Pratik Aggarwal) Although the park has been open for less than two months, its impact is visible. Children return from the space calmer and happier. Professor Sehgal recalls a child who was about to be discharged and refused to leave until she had visited the park once more. Parents of children with chronic conditions have shared that the space creates a more positive association with hospital visits. Her department is currently conducting an ICMR-funded study encouraging parents of children with developmental delays to reduce screen time and increase outdoor play, storytelling and active engagement. The study reinforces the importance of spaces like Umang Vatika, which make outdoor participation accessible even within a medical setting. A space that signals dignity For many families that ASTHA works with, even ordinary parks remain out of reach. “Many families come from marginalised backgrounds where even basic play spaces are rare, let alone accessible ones,” says Pratik. “The idea that children with disabilities can simply play is itself very powerful.” For both Pratik and Kavitha, the message extends beyond one hospital campus. Inclusive design does not require separate worlds. Public parks across cities can begin by addressing basic barriers such as narrow gates and uneven entryways that stall wheelchairs. As Kavitha puts it, “Children with disabilities are children first. Just like all children love and need to play, they do too. If they are not able to access play, it becomes a question of their basic right.” In a city where questions of access have recently come into focus, Umang Vatika offers a practical answer. It shows what becomes possible when institutions build with intention and when play is treated as part of care. Sometimes, that change begins with something as simple as making room for a swing. Sources: ‘Girl, 5, with Cerebral Palsy Stopped From Using Swing In Delhi Park: Family’ : by Shreya Ghosh for NDTV, 14 February 2026