JEDDAH: A park built by Jeddah Municipality on Sultan Street for people with disabilities is unsafe and lacks proper services.

This is the view of Mohammed Towfik Bellow, general secretary of the Ebsar Foundation for the Visually Impaired, who said that there are no trees and only some walkways. In addition, one walkway leads straight to a highway with no railings, which is dangerous for people with visual disabilities, he said.

Bellow said the park also has some statues at the end of one walking track. “These statues can be pleasant for a person with sight, but a blind or visually impaired person can walk straight into them and get hurt,” he said.

He said there are pieces of exercise equipment with parts hanging in the air, at the height of an average person’s head, which are also dangerous for people with visual problems.

Bellow said that it was not correct for the municipality to build a park exclusively for people with disabilities because this isolates them from the rest of society.

In countries abroad parks are made for everyone to enjoy, and do not isolate those with physical or mental impairments. The municipality should rather add safety measures at public parks in the city, which would include a grass verge along walkways for people with visual problems, fencing, and trees and plants.

Alian Mustafa, a person with visual impairments, said the park was not suited for people like him. It was designed without taking into account the needs of people with sight issues, he said.

Muhammed Buqami, spokesman of the municipality, insisted the park was suitable for people with all kinds of disabilities, including those with visual problems. It has special walkways and exercise areas, he said.