Great Parks of Hamilton County is making the outdoors a little more accessible this week.
In a collaboration between Great Parks, the Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CABVI) and Luke5Adventures, mobility experts will guide hikers who are blind or visually impaired on the Kingfisher Trail at Winton Woods on Thursday. Guests will take the 1.1-mile hike near Kingfisher Creek where they can “experience the smells, sounds and feel of being on a trail, and can also choose to touch the running water of the creek,” says a release from Great Parks.
Specialists from Luke5Adventures — a Mason-based organization that introduces the outdoors to those “who may not have the physical ability to enjoy that experience on their own” — will use “Rosies” to assist hikers on the trail. A Rosie is a portable device that looks like a large seat atop a sturdy, rugged wheel, as seen on the Luke5Adventures website. A person who has mobility limitations can strap into the seat, and hike leaders will grab the long handles that protrude from the front and the back to navigate the person through the park.
“Every day, we focus on the simple idea of going hiking with people who can’t hike by themselves,” says Kevin Schwieger, founder of Luke5Adventures. “This hike at Winton Woods will build confidence, offer a chance for these hikers to walk on new terrain and expand their skill using a cane. It’s a reminder for us, too, because there is usually no way for these individuals to see or experience 99% of the creation that the rest of us take for granted.”
The group will create a base at the Kingfisher trailhead, where music therapists will be on hand.
“Our blind and visually impaired population is often limited in the types of experiences they can have, so we’re looking forward to exposing them to the sounds and smells of nature and helping them achieve a sense of accomplishment for doing something they’ve never done before,” Kristen Imbus, a youth services vision specialist with CABVI, says in the press release.
Hikers will gather 9 a.m.-noon Thursday, June 10, at the Kingfisher Shelter in Winton Woods, 10245 Winton Road. Hikes scheduled to begin at 10 and 11:30 a.m.
Kimberly Whitton, Great Parks’ public engagement coordinator adds, “The parks are made for just this type of recreation and education experience for every guest.”
Learn more about the Winton Woods Trails on the Great Parks of Hamilton County website.
This article appears in Jun 1 – Jul 6, 2021.
