KeCh Blog #6: A Trip to the Foster Botanical Garden
Photo Description:
In this picture, a young woman with her back toward the camera is using her left hand to touch the leaf of a palm tree and holding her long white cane in her right hand. She has long black hair that falls below her shoulders. She is wearing a light blue hoodie and dark denim jeans. On her back is a turquoise, flower-printed backpack with a tan-colored, hand-sized plush turtle hanging from the zipper. The palm leaf is green with an arrow-shaped ribbed design. There is a cluster of these palms to the left of the young lady.
Birds chirping, people laughing, the swish of the breeze across my ears, and the rolling, tapping, and clacking of many canes—these are the sounds that greeted me and the other participants at Foster Botanical Garden. Everyone was excited for the first event of Travel Visions Aloha for the Blind. The many volunteers were thrilled to help others explore the garden. When I arrived, we checked in and received a name badge, ribbon bracelet, and a braille information booklet. The booklet provided a description of the tour (5 pages front and back) and was easy to read, written in an understandable way. The braille description of the plants included English, Hawaiian, and Latin names. It also informed us about the types of trees and their locations. We were also given a topography map in braille, though every participant had a volunteer to give them verbal directions. My volunteer provided specific and audio-descriptive information about the garden around me.
This was Travel Visions Aloha for the Blind’s first event, organized by Marri Murdoch and her agency, and it was fantastic! I think she put a lot of hard work into planning and staging this event. It took initiative and creativity to find an activity that could be enjoyed by all who participated. Travel Visions Aloha for the Blind had been planning its debut for a few months, and the hard work paid off. The volunteers who participated were required to attend training and watch a video to understand the needs of those they were helping. Every volunteer was willing and able to complete the necessary steps to be involved in this activity.
The volunteers allowed us to take our time walking, touch the trees with our hands, smell the flowers, and listen to the birds. My volunteer listened to me when I asked questions and respected my decisions.
Marri has stayed true to her vision, creating a world where individuals with visual impairments are given tools to support their potential—transforming lives and breaking down barriers. In a previous blog, I discussed being an advocate for the Blind Visually Impaired (BVI) community. Volunteering in places like Travel Visions Aloha for the Blind is one way the sighted community can be advocates, supporting the potential of BVI individuals. Would you like to join us on our journey? I hope so because I’m excited and look forward to traveling to different locations with Travel Visions Aloha for the Blind. Upcoming outings include whale watching, a hula show, a visit to a cocoa farm, and much more.
Ms. Marri and Travel Visions want people to know that we are capable of living full and happy lives, so keep reading my blog to find out about more adventures! —Kelly
