Disabled people will be allowed entrance into Tel Aviv’s Luna Park. The amusement park’s management decided Wednesday to change its admission policy following negotiations with ILAN, an organization for children born with physical disabilities.
Previously, Luna Park’s management prevented the admission of disabled children confined to wheelchairs, claiming it would be dangerous to allow them to go on the rides -- even though no handicapped-related accident has ever occurred in the amusement park.
The Israel Association of Community Centers had ordered its branches not to send children to Luna Park and Superland, amusement parks owned by Entertainment City, until the decision not to allow disabled children into the parks was reversed.
Making the children happy
All in all, Entertinment City was set to lose some 70,000 potential visitors who frequent the amusement parks through the community centers.
In addition, the country’s "democratic" schools canceled a field trip of some 1,200 students to the Luna Park scheduled for Wednesday.
Knesset members and handicapped organizations had protested that company's decision was both immoral and illegal.
“We hereby announce that, as in the past, no restrictions will be placed on the entrance of disabled people to the company’s various amusement parks,” Entertainment City CEO Sami Yihya said in a statement.
Ilan Chairman Haim Frailichman said in response, “We welcome the fact that the management has retracted its previous assertions and is once again permitting all disabled people to enter the amusement parks so they too would be able to enjoy themselves for a few hours.”
“This will make the parents and children very happy,” he said.
Yoav Kraim, spokesman for the Campaign for Handicapped Persons in Israel, told Ynet that Enternainment City’s claims regarding the safety hazards involved in allowing handicaped children to enjoy amusement park rides are unfounded.
“They themselves admit there has never been an accident that involved a handicapped child,” he said. “All the major amusement parks in the world are entirely open to children and adults with disabilities.”
