Holistic accessibility consulting for travel and tourism
Even Grounds offers holistic accessibility consulting for travel and tourism: tactile maps, 3D replicas, museum consulting, training, and accessibility audits.
Even Grounds is trusted by organizations of all sizes, from global corporations and government agencies to museums, cultural institutions, and nonprofits.
“I can see, and that is why I can be happy, in what you call the dark, but which to me is golden. I can see a God-made world, not a manmade world.” – Helen Keller
“Blindness“—how effortlessly sighted people type or say this word, isn’t it? But have you ever thought about how it feels to be blind? How does it feel not to see anything that surrounds you? Trust me, even if we try our best, we cannot relate to the psychology or feelings of a blind person if we never experienced it.
Leave a CommentMost people view sports and athletics as a showcase of one’s strength against opponents, skills, and positional tactics. But to add diversity to this view, consider it from the perspective of an athlete with visually impairment. The usage of blindfolds by athletes is an intriguing and frequently misinterpreted component of adaptive sports. An interesting fact is that athletes participating in goalball and blind football wear blindfolds to ensure fairness. This makes the game more accessible where players with visibility or visual impairment both become the same.
Leave a CommentCreating accessible maps for individuals with visual impairments is a complex process. When designing tactile maps, we need to carefully consider how to best integrate braille to convey information effectively without sacrificing practicality and efficiency. This post explores the challenges and solutions involved in using braille on tactile maps, drawing from our design experience.
Leave a CommentI recently finished reading Crooked Paths Made Straight by Isabelle L.D. Grant, and it’s a book that has really stayed with me. It’s not just a travelogue; it’s a deeply personal account of a blind teacher’s journey around the world in 1959 and 1960, and it offers a unique window into a time that feels very distant from our own. What struck me from the beginning is that this book was completed more than sixty years ago, which gives the text a special historical context.
Leave a CommentFlight for Sight is a nonprofit organization that empowers individuals who are blind or have low vision by offering $10,000 travel grants. These grants enable recipients to explore the world, engage with diverse communities, and educate others about blindness and low vision.
Leave a CommentToday is the birthday of Louis Braille, and in 2024 we also remembered that it has been 200 years that he invented the writing system…
Leave a CommentThroughout the years, the general perception of museums has been that they house rich collections of the finest art, culture, history, and other knowledge. However, the traditional design of museums often excludes people who are blind or visually impaired. This is where tactile exhibits or museums come in – promoting inclusivity and creating a better experience for everyone.
If you are interested in understanding how tactile museums function, why they are important, and how they are created, this beginner’s guide will cover all the important aspects.
Leave a CommentGift-giving is a thoughtful way to express love and appreciation. However, choosing the perfect gift for someone with unique needs, such as a visually impaired…
Leave a CommentSports are all about working together, sharing power, and standing together. It transcends language and culture to bring people of all kinds. To most individuals who have blindness or visual impairment, goalball is more than just a sport. This unique sport is created for athletes who have disabilities and is a perfect example of the adaptability of sports. It helps foster confidence among the athletes, enhance communication skills, and improve spatial awareness.
This article looks into goalball’s history, rules, techniques, and influence on its players, as well as explains its role in the efforts toward inclusion.
Leave a CommentTactile maps are, by design, three-dimensional, as they use raised surfaces to make a two-dimensional map touchable. However, traditional tactile maps elevate features just enough for them to be discernible by touch, while 3D maps go further by utilizing height and depth to convey richer, more intuitive information. This makes >3D tactile maps more effective and accessible in many contexts.
The above 3-D map shows the elevations of Kenya with braille labels, made in collaboration with the Clovernook Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired
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