When it opens in 2012, Fairytale Farm in Oxfordshire, England, will be the first family farm attraction where everything is designed around the needs of children with sensory, learning and physical disabilities.
Theme park planning consultant Nick Laister and his wife Nicole were inspired to create the park by their 12-year-old daughter, who has cerebral palsy. The idea is to create the sort of attraction the couple would liked to have visited with their own family.
“Fairytale Farm will operate just like any other farm attraction, but the big difference is that we are turning accessibility on its head,” says Nick. “Everything will be designed around children with special needs, but we cannot guarantee that everything will be accessible to those without disabilities. The attraction will involve a range of farm and domestic animals, particularly those that can be handled, as this is important for children with sensory disabilities. We also propose to install specialist play equipment.”
Planning permission was granted last year at Southcombe Farm near Chipping Norton and fundraising kicked off in September with a series of car boot sales on site.
