I am always searching for innovative solutions to enhance the independence of visually impaired individuals. One such solution that has captured my attention many years ago was Touch Mapper, a service that allows the printing of local maps based on addresses. These tactile maps, designed for blind and visually impaired people, show roads, buildings, and..
Getting started with 3D printing
Last weekend I got myself a 3D printer. How does this relate to accessible travel? Because if I would like to understand what something looks like and I don’t have the opportunity to touch it, I can hopefully print out a model. I wrote about the 3d printed building project before, but that’s a different..
Videos for the Blind
Recently I came across a creative video description service for blind and visually impaired people. The description is text based, and meant to be used by listening to short segments of the video and reading the descriptions. This way it can have more context than an audio described video, while it is fully accessible for..
WayAround: A Practical Tagging System
Recently I have come across a simple and practical system to tag objects for blind people, called WayAround. It has practically unlimited uses, and people are coming up with all kinds of innovative ways of making their lives easier. I was wondering if I could use it during my trips to simplify a few things...
Running with a guide dog
I will never forget how much more freedom I experienced all of a sudden when I got my guide dog, Baldwin from guiding eyes for the Blind. That was approximately the time when Guiding Eyes started to train running guides. This means that a blind or visually impaired person can take up running as a..
How my 3d buildings have changed my perception
Recently I wrote about my new 3d building project. Today I would like to talk about how it has changed my entire perception of what buildings are. Unlike in most of my posts, I cannot talk about blind people in general, because each person is their own story and background and education. I can only..
Is Your Audio Guide Part of the Problem or the Solution?
Audio guides can be used in several environments, and if they are structured well, they can provide immense help for visitors. A few ideas where audio guides can be used are: Museums and galleries City tours Parks Zoos and aquariums Botanical gardens However, I have experienced many instances when otherwise good audio guides did not..
Travel Visions Aloha, adventures for the blind
The other day I came across a new article about Travel Visions Aloha for the Blind, which is an organization providing adventures and experiences for blind people, at the moment primarily in Hawaii. Though there are some similar organizations around the world, definitely not too many, so I contacted the owner, Marri Murdoch to learn..
Accessible Social by Alexa Heinrich, Book Review
I have come across a book that is a true gap filler in the industry: Accessible Social A beginner’s guide to creating inclusive social media content, by Alexa Heinrich Why am I writing about this on a travel blog? Because it is a must read, or must use for people who use social media in..
Accessible Exhibit at the Allen Memorial Art Museum in Oberlin
Last summer I was introduced to Ellis Lane, a curator from the Allen Memorial Art Museum in Oberlin. At the time he just started working on a project to make artwork accessible for visually impaired people. The Digital Reimaginings exhibit opened recently. Ellis didn’t only create a fully accessible program, but I really appreciated his..