Goals

Problem statement:

People spend less and less time in the nature. Work, university, school, home, computer, gadgets, phones, internet, social networks and a lot of other things can be listed, that cause people to have hardly any free time.  In case of people with visual impairments, a lot of barriers add to this list, that makes the living nature even more unavailable. Therefore, in Georgia there are blind or partially sighted people who haven’t been in a natural environment and have heard about natural reliefs only from books, movies and relatives. An outing of several days in the nature, in a safe place, with tents will be interesting and important for people with visual impairments, because they will be able to touch different reliefs (terrain).
For example: they will walk on sandy, rocky surface, they will touch a plant and examine its structure. They will take part in spreading a tent. On the other hand, camping will be important for independent living of blind and partially sighted people, because in real life, they will not be scared when walking on a different relief and won’t panic.
This project is intended for 14 young people with visual impairments, and 6 mobility-orientation instructors, 2 hikers and the project manager will assist them in moving and getting to know the natural environment.

How will your initiative achieve/contribute to this change?

This project is intended for 14 young people with visual impairments, and 6 mobility-orientation instructors, 2 hikers and the project manager will assist them in moving and getting to know the natural environment. Young people with visual impairments and mobility-orientation instructors will be found and selected as a result of consultations with NGO-s, activists working on this issue, with whom I have a close business connection. Also, I will easily involve experienced hikers, since I have an experience of cooperating with them. As for choosing a place, a safe place will be chosen in advance together with the hikers and mobility-orientation instructors, because it is necessary to avoid any risks for 2-day hiking with tents. Besides, before the hiking the group will be given a training about hiking by a competent person, about what they have to take into consideration while hiking, what barriers they may come across in the nature, how they should act in different situations. For example: how they should guess about the approaching change of weather, what obstacles they may face while changing different terrains, how to use hiking equipment. A several-day hiking in the nature, in a safe place will facilitate independent living of blind and partially sighted people. Together with mobility-orientation instructors they will learn about natural environment, touch different reliefs, this will help the young people with visual impairments to acquire and develop everyday skills, which is more effective to learn while hiking. Also, it will be an interesting experience to get to know the living nature on the spot.

What will happen to your initiative and to the purchases?

The purchased items will be given to NNLE: “Mariani”, which actively works in the field of empowering the independent lives of blind and partially sighted young people. “Mariani” has an experience of several years, on the local as well as international level. “Mariani” works on rehabilitation and education of blind and partially sighted people. It will assist this project in finding and selecting the instructors of spatial orientation and mobility.

How will initiative provide equal opportunity for men and women?

Representatives of both genders will be equally involved in this project. Every person involved in the project will be protected from different kinds of discrimination.