By Healthy Aging Admin Published 04/1/2009 Mental Wellness Unrated
Reward Your Senses by Gardening...even if you are visually impaired
Gardening for people who are blind or have low vision can be challenging, but it can also be satisfying. VisionAWARE.org is a free, not-for-profit online resource that can help them keep their gardens growing.
For the millions of Americans who have problems seeing, the idea of planting and tending to a garden may seem unrewarding. But losing your vision doesn't mean you have to put away the trowel. Maureen Duffy, M.S. CVRT and Editorial Director of VisionAWARE.org, explains that "gardens don't only have to be planted for their visual beauty ... they can be just as pleasing to the other senses, especially the sense of smell."
Duffy suggests choosing plants for more than just their appearance. Roses, lilacs, lavender, and gardenias are all excellent options for their aromatic qualities. Plants like mint and geraniums can be selected for their tactual assets.
VisionAWARE.org offers all sorts of gardening tips for people with vision loss including:
-- Planting in raised beds to help create solid boundaries
-- Using tools with brightly colored handles for easy spotting
-- Calling attention to garden stakes by securing old tennis balls to the tops
-- Marking newly planted areas with large print signs, decorative garden art or landscaping rocks
It is the goal of VisionAWARE.org that every web user, regardless of visual, auditory, or other physical impairment, has access to all information on the site. At VisionAWARE, you can learn how to adapt your computer to make it more accessible, including screen magnification, specialized browsers, and screen reading software.
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