Because tourism should be for everyone! A new initiative will see braille tourism pave more access in Cape Town from street art tours to famous landmarks as led by SA’s first blind, qualified tour guide.
Cape Town, South Africa (19 July 2023) — Many factors make exploring a city, town or even home ground that much more special. Most of us might consider things like a good tour guide, smooth logistics and tours that won’t break the bank as winning elements. Maybe an included meal or two. However, for many travel dreamers accessibility is the ultimate determiner. Thanks to a recent big move toward braille tourism in Cape Town, inclusive travel is becoming more normalised!
‘Limitless Cape Town’ led by Cape Town Tourism is said to be a first-of-its-kind universal access movement. But what does access in this context really mean?
Access means getting to experience the tours that you’ve heard friends and family rave about for yourself. It means not having to sit something out just because it wasn’t designed for you, and it means getting to feel a space’s vibrance in the most personal way—tangibly.
The new initiative sees popular sights in the Mother City revamped with braille touchpoints, including street art murals and Cape Town’s yellow frames.
These touchpoints are paired with QR codes linked to audio content that describe the scenery in fantastic detail, from street art in Salt River to Signal Hill.
Better yet, the tours will be led by SA’s first qualified blind tour guide, Winston Fani.
“Fani uses an unprecedented technique of counting steps and lampposts to arrive at the appropriate artwork, combining this with his eloquent descriptions of the works and their creators to inspire guests,” shared Cape Town Tourism.
“I had a dream to prove to the world that being blind shouldn’t be an obstacle. I didn’t let my blindness prevent me from realising my vision of becoming a tourist guide and thanks to the immense support of my family and Cape Town Tourism, that dream has turned into a reality.”—Winston Fani.
Thanks to people like Winston, the opportunity now stands for more travel passionate yet visually impaired people to follow in his footsteps—something Cape Town tourism hopes to bolster through the Limitless Cape Town.
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