Touching Scene for Visually Impaired

The fire engine door swings open, and the bells jingle. The realistic objects are part of a new interactive mural for students at the Blind Children’s Learning Center in Santa Ana.

The mural and an adjacent playground were built with money from grants and donations and help from 285 workers during the recent Christmas in April volunteer event.

About 2,000 volunteer hours were donated by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Irvine, who installed the equipment. One church member, homemaker Amy Muir, designed the mural to accommodate children with sight impairments.

Church spokeswoman Bunkie Griffith said the mural is a special treat for special children: “If they can’t enjoy the colors, they can at least feel.”

The swings, slides and sandboxes are like those on other playgrounds, but extra features have been added for visually impaired youngsters up to 3 years old.

Part of the area has a bouncy rubber floor, for example, to break the fall of toddlers prone to taking tumbles. And a wheelchair ramp makes it easier for children to reach the slide.

Even the landscaping was done with the students in mind: pungent garlic plants and lemon trees are planted so that youngsters can enjoy their distinctive odors.

The Learning Center received grants and donations to purchase the playground equipment, valued at $25,000. The mural, plants and a sprinkler system, which were donated, were valued at more than $10,000.

On Wednesday, with help from aides and teachers at the Learning Center, children were at play at the mural, in the sandbox and on the swings.

Teacher Irene Takahashi said the youngsters have clearly enjoyed the playground since it was installed last month.

“The children don’t talk yet, but we can see them wanting to get on the equipment,” Takahashi said. “From their expression, you can see that they’re happy.”