Ever Improved Accessibility

As a part of Woodoaks’ commitment to ever improving accessibility on and across the farm, this weekend we welcomed five members from Watford Social Centre For The Blind to trial an assisted farm walk. 

This follows on from earlier consultations with the team to explore the breadth of different ways that Woodoaks Farm might work to remove barriers to access and give anyone with any level of visual impairment an equal chance to step into nature and experience the benefits.

As a pilot event, it provided us a wonderful learning opportunity. We had our novice volunteer sight guides to hand, but in truth it was the club members who showed us the way. 

With patience and kindness they explained how we should introduce ourselves – Talk, Walk & Guide – and how to describe the environment and paint the the situation.

Club member Edita suggested that we… “imagine we’re talking on the radio and describing the scene the our listeners” … a perfect instruction! 

This chatty, wonderful group had so many questions and such great constructive criticism, ideas and feedback, that it has given us much food for thought and certainly usefully informed our own vision for the future. 

Steve our farm ranger who led the group had mentioned en route that the dawn chorus was one of his favourite walks to lead but in just one moment, this walk had risen up that ladder into joint first place! 

Thank you Kat & Jenny who helped to make this happpen. We look forward to the follow up walk with further members of your club, developing further the ideas we have shared and even working on all-new volunteer opportunities for the future.

Thank you too to our volunteer sight guides, especially Karen who happily stepped in last minute to free up hands to document this special day with the photographs displayed here.