Moors Valley brings visual impairment into focus with exciting new guide (April 2019)
Moors Valley Country Park in Dorset has launched a new Large Print guide to help people with visual impairment to enjoy their visit to the park more; by giving them information in a format that makes it easier to read and understand.
The guides are specifically aimed at visitors with some sight, but who have difficulty with everyday activities, like reading and recognising faces, such as Macular Degeneration or Glaucoma. The guides may also be beneficial for visitors who have dyslexia or where English is their second language.
The Large Print guides are purposely produced to be more easily read by people with visual impairment. However, it’s not just about enlarging the print, a wide range of techniques are used to make the guides more accessible for visually impaired visitors.
Katie Davies, Dorset Council Communication Ranger at Moors Valley Country Park stated: “It is important to us to provide quality facilities and information to make Moors Valley as accessible as possible to as many people as possible. This is a fantastic new resource that will allow even more of our visitors to learn about our natural heritage.”
Moors Valley Country Park worked in partnership with the Heritage Ability project to create the Large Print guide. Heritage Ability is a project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, created to support 20 plus heritage sites across the South West to become more accessible for people with disabilities and Deaf people using British Sign Language.
Helen Smith, Disability Champion for Heritage Ability stated: “Providing Large Print site guides and maps that are clear and easy to see, make a huge difference to visitors with visual impairments because it enables many of them to enjoy the experience without having to constantly rely on someone else’s support”
Katie added: “We would really like to thank Heritage Ability for their work on the guide, and working closely with us to ensure it captured information on the range of wildlife that you could come across whilst visiting the beautiful Moors Valley.”
The Large Print guide at Moors Valley Country Park is available on request from the Information Point in the Visitor Centre, so please don’t be afraid to ask!
The Heritage Ability project is the creation of Living Options Devon, a local user-led charity, where all of the initiatives are developed or supported by people who have a first-hand understanding of the challenges faced by disabled and Deaf people.
To find out more about the project visit the website at: www.heritageability.org.
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For more information about the project please contact Claire Rowe, Heritage Ability Engagement and Communications Officer via email on: claire.rowe@livingoptions.org or call 01392 822383 (Mobile: 0771 2551300).
To find out which places in Devon and across the South West have Large Print guides or the other accessible solutions that Heritage Ability are introducing to heritage attractions, visit www.heritageability.org for more information.
Living Options Devon is a registered charity (number 1102489) working across the South West to ensure that people with disabilities and Deaf people who use British Sign Language (BSL) can live the lives they choose. To find out more, visit www.livingoptions.org.