New tactile sign at Waterfront Park improves accessibility for visually impaired visitors

City of Burlington and Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired Celebrate Installation of Waterfront Park Tactile Map 

VermontBiz Today, officials from the City of Burlington and representatives of the Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (VABVI) gathered to celebrate the installation of a first-in-the-City Accessible Tactile Map located in Burlington’s Waterfront Park.  

Photo: City of Burlington and Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired Celebrate Installation of Waterfront Park Tactile Map. Courtesy photo.

Photo: City of Burlington and Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired Celebrate Installation of Waterfront Park Tactile Map. Courtesy photo.

The Waterfront Park Tactile Sign translates visual cues to distinct textures and braille, assisting blind and visually impaired visitors in their navigation of the area. Park-goers can use the sign to identify nearby locations, such as the ECHO Center or the A_Dog Skate Park, and determine the distance that they will need to travel in order to reach their destination. The map also distinguishes different kinds of terrain, allowing for a safer experience. A QR Code sticker attached to the sign will refer people to additional information, such as audio descriptions. 

“This sign project is one of many planning efforts addressing accessibility in Burlington’s parks. And while small in stature, its impact will be big,” said Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, “We’re very proud of the positive collaboration on this sign and look forward to continuing this valuable work to make our Parks and City more accessible for all members of our community.” 

Funded via the City’s Penny for Parks program, staff from the Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (VABVI) and Burlington Parks, Recreation, and Waterfront (BPRW) worked collaboratively on the design, procurement, and installation of this first-in-the-City sign over the course of the past year. The City hopes to work with VABVI to develop more sign locations and on other accessibility projects over the coming years.

"Accessibility is integral to independence," said Sam Gougher, VABVI development associate, "the sign offers different ways for people to access the information. There's terrain textures and braille, which makes this map accessible to a whole new group of people."

Nate Besio of Burlington's Advisory Committee on Accessibility (BACA) noted: "The best way for something to be truly accessible is to include the perspectives of people with disabilities that it affects. This sign is a perfect example of that collaboration. The parties came together to ask for feedback from BACA, and we were able to work with members of the blind and visually impaired community to finalize the placement and details on the sign to make it truly accessible."

 

About the Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired 

The Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (VABVI) was founded in 1926 with the assistance of Helen Keller to enable blind and visually impaired Vermonters to be more independent, cultivate adaptive skills, and improve their quality of life. VABVI is the only private, non-profit organization in Vermont to provide comprehensive support and services, free of charge, to the growing population of blind and visually impaired Vermonters from birth to end of life. After a century of service, VABVI has become integral to the health and well-being of Vermont. 

VABVI provides various programs for children and adults. Each of our programs works to minimize the impact of living without sight on the education, career, social life, mobility, recreation, civic duty, and personal welfare of our clients. Our services include rehabilitation training, coaching in orientation and mobility strategies, instruction in adaptive techniques for daily living, procurement and training of assistive technology, social networking opportunities, and a statewide volunteer transportation system.

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