An urgent call from the Children’s Council of Assen was immediately granted tonight. There will be 100,000 euros extra on the table to make playgrounds, which are being renewed in five neighborhoods this year, also accessible to children with a disability.
The children’s council believes that playing is a right for all children. But with accessibility, also for disabled children, insufficient account has been taken, the complaint is. They therefore asked for politics action.
The municipality of Assen has been working on the implementation of the Boss plan for a few years, which stands for exercise, meet, play and exercise. With this, Assen wants to realize central and green play and meeting places in various neighborhoods and neighborhoods in the coming years, intended to stimulate exercise and to combat loneliness.
This year, playgrounds in the Marsdijk, Noorderpark, Centrum, Assen-Oost and Peelo districts are being overhauled. But the budget is insufficient to make it ‘inclusive’ play areas, the children’s council discovered her grief. They are not easily accessible via paths, or not usable for all children because special play equipment is missing. “Playing together is important, everyone is part of it,” says the children’s council. That is why 100,000 euros is needed to make five play areas that are on the role for everyone accessible for this year.
A group of the children’s council made a plea in the city council tonight. Last week they sent a letter to the council members. The action was bearing fruit. Tonight there was full support from the Council for the extra sum of money, thanks to a motion by GroenLinks and PvdA, partly submitted by most other parties.
Alderman Jan Broekema (SP) is happy with the extra financial scope. “With this 100,000 euros we can make the play areas a lot more inclusive, and that goes further than just an accessible path. In recent years we have certainly looked at how we could make it as inclusive as possible. That was a whole puzzle because of the tight budget. With the extra available money that will soon be less puzzling,” says Broekema.