"Blind date" path (2015)
Experiencing nature with all senses.
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Information board on the "Blind Date" trail©
![Information board on the "Blind Date" trail, © Naturpark Purkersdorf](//www.naturpark-purkersdorf.at/images/fgxt3gvguvc-/information-board-on-the-blind-date-trail.jpg "Information board on the "Blind Date" trail, © Naturpark Purkersdorf")
![Information board on the "Blind Date" trail, © Naturpark Purkersdorf](http://www.naturpark-purkersdorf.at/images/fgxt3gvguvc-/information-board-on-the-blind-date-trail.jpg "Information board on the "Blind Date" trail, © Naturpark Purkersdorf")
"We offer people with low vision a guided path into nature, and at the same time we enable other people to experience nature not only with their eyes, but with their nose, ears, hands and feet" (Dr. Rudolf Orthofer, chairman).
As early as 2011, the Purkersdorf Nature Park began to set up a trail for people with impaired vision.
Experience nature without eyes
The original aim of the project was to offer an experience of nature to people who focus on senses other than the eyes.
In addition, however, we also wanted to show those visitors with good eyesight how the environment can be perceived other than with just the eyes; and to "open the eyes" of those with good sight by offering them to use senses other than the eyes.
"Blind Date" Theme Trail
The trail was redesigned in 2015. It is about 1 km long. 14 information boards, in vision text and in Braille text, accompany visitors and refer to special natural phenomena or features. Handrails are installed at potentially dangerous areas or inclines, and wooden stakes were hammered in for better orientation. A special area with natural materials makes it possible to "experience" a section of the path barefoot, i.e. to "see" a piece of nature with the soles of one's feet. The special grounding that visually impaired people have in order to find their way in our almost exclusively optically oriented world, is the main theme of this theme path.
Participative implementation
The implementation was carried out with the participation of both visually impaired and non-impaired people as well as students from two participating schools. Through this participatory process, the special skills and needs of those affected could be included. Through this involvement of different user and age groups we were able to consider multiple points of view.
This project was funded by the EU Rural Development Programme, the Province of Lower Austria, the Austrian Education Promotion Fund and the Municipality of Purkersdorf.