Signage for blind people makes Faial Botanical Garden more accessible to all, says Marta Guerreiro
The Regional Secretary for Energy, Environment and Tourism stated in Horta that any citizen, regardless of their physical limitations, should use Interpretation Centres autonomously, which is already possible at Faial Botanical Garden through the installation of signage for the blind.
"The increasing number of visitors over the last few years brings the need to make this space more accessible to all and this type of signage will allow blind visitors to browse and interpret, independently, various collections, namely "Aromatic and Medicinal Plants" and "Traditional Agricultural Cultures." They will also have the opportunity to move within the visitor's building," said Marta Guerreiro, who spoke during the celebrations of the 31st anniversary of Faial Botanical Garden.
This partnership with the Association of Parents and Friends of Disabled People of Faial will provide the space with "indoor signage to indicate the toilets and the bar as well as with outdoor signage that will indicate the direction to be taken by visitors, so that they may walk safely in the corridors between the flower beds; there will also be signage in Braille containing references to the various plant species that may be found in the garden," said the Regional Secretary.
The Secretary for the Environment added that the Botanical Garden will still have "a Braille Visitation Guide that will help blind visitors to understand indoor and outdoor signage and, simultaneously, to know the Botanical Garden, namely its history and organisation."
The Faial Botanical Garden opened on June 18, 1986 and has grown not only in terms of extension, but also in terms of its capacity to respond to environmental challenges posed to the preservation of Azorean species, habitats and landscapes. It is becoming an environmental centre of reference and a must for those who visit the island of Faial.