Touchstones trail – Innovative self-guided tour providing learning for all

As part of the 2017 DreamBIG Festival, the History Trust of South Australia and Children’s University Adelaide worked together on a collaborative project with the South Australian School for Vision Impaired (SASVI) to create a unique trail along the North Terrace Cultural Boulevard in Adelaide.  The students at SASVI are legally blind, have less than 6/60 vision or have severe field restrictions; making it difficult for them to interpret and interact with traditional exhibitions or displays.

The SASVI students wanted to be able to create a history themed trail for the 2017 History Festival, that any child can do and that can demonstrate unique ways of exploring well-known spaces. SASVI students from Year 2-7 explored North Terrace identifying interesting and significant landmarks they thought should be included. Together they compiled lists, took photographs, recorded soundscapes and described what they could hear, smell and touch. Particular items of interest include statues, fountains, memorials, trees and sculptures.

Click HERE to see worksheet.

The resulting self-guided trail is downloadable and complemented with a special Adelaidia App which allows participants to listen to the sound recordings of the students from SASVI and view the photographs they have taken of the different locations  Completion of the trail gains each CUA member 2 hours of learning in their passports.