On Monday, June 29, President Louis Mussington, the 2e Vice President Bernadette Davis and the Viotty family inaugurated this park adapted for children with autism spectrum disorder. Named in honor of Mahalia Viotty, a young neurodivergent woman from Saint Martin who passed away in 2023, this new space located on the Marigot waterfront has been open to the public for several weeks.
Completely safe and designed to be accessible to children, whether or not they have a disability, this project, launched a year ago, responds to a request from local residents and is part of a larger project to redevelop the Marigot seafront. Built at a cost of €150.000 and equipped with access gates, the park includes play equipment that promotes motor skills and sensory stimulation, a shock-absorbing surface, a wooden kiosk, and a green space.
The President of the Collectivity said he was "proud" to have fulfilled this mission which "perpetuates the sense of community so dear to this term of office", and added that a second park should open in Galisbay by the end of August.
Visibly moved, Maud Viotty, Mahalia's mother, recounted her daughter's journey, who was diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum only when she entered middle school, at a time when resources for children with disabilities were still very limited on the island. "Inclusion is not an ideal but a responsibility," she concluded. Today, organizations such as the SESSAD (Specialized Education and Home Care Service), the IME (Medical-Educational Institute), and the CMP (Medical-Psychological Center) support children with disabilities in Saint-Martin. Several associations are also involved in this field, notably Coralita and OVE Caraïbes, which manages the specialized care home (MAS) in Saint-Martin and has long worked in partnership with the association. Tournesol, as well as Handynamique, organizer of sporting and cultural events promoting interaction between children with disabilities and able-bodied children
_DR
