The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) Article 30 ensures physically and mentally challenged people have the rights to participate in recreation, travel and sports activities. Eden Foundation has continued to put CRPD into practice, ensuring that they can enjoy recreation, relaxation and experience life freely. Based on this idea, Eden Rehabilitation Center for Visually Impaired held the “Brand New Horizon-River Tracing” activity, leading visually impaired to experience nature.
Stepping into the babble stream, persons with visual impairments experienced the rare activity of river tracing with the help from Eden volunteers. It proves that they can live a wonderful life despite of the visual impairment.
The volunteers guided the persons with visual impairment to cross the rapid stream while reminding them to watch their feet and not to tumble, so they could be psychologically prepared. To cross the water safely, every step they took must be steadily. Some persons with visual impairment have severe blurred vision and some are blind. Without volunteers’ help, they hardly have the opportunity to explore nature.
Because of a large number of rocks under the stream, volunteers were worried that the persons with visual impairment would not be able to stand still, they stretched out their arms for them to grab. Mutual trust was built up when the river tracing was underway. During the activity, slopes and stairs were full of obstacles, and volunteers put themselves in their shoes to instruct the persons with visual impairment. The river bed’s height was uneven, so they helped each other to complete the activity.
After river tracing, persons with visual impairment said that it was too exciting to wade in the water, and if not for Eden, they would not have participated at all. Before the activity, they all looked forward to it and felt excited but with volunteers’ help, there is not so much anxiety. They didn’t know what would happen before stepping into the water, but the moment they set their feet steady, there was nothing to worry. “I floated on the water several times! The feeling of wandering in the nature is very comfortable, the air, the wind and birds around, different from the city.”
Being visual impaired doesn’t mean to live under limitations. Persons with visually impairment appreciate the world with their hearts and live in their own beautiful style.
