A Garden for the Blind

A Garden for the Blind

In “Dimensions of Creativity” in The Rise of the Creative Class, Richard Florida makes note of the dramatic changes seen in the modern world’s society contrasted with society during the 1950’s. Florida delves into the more conspicuous aspects of these analogous societies and makes mention of how at first the differences between them to not seem that dissimilar at first glance. Technology, modern medicine, and other realms remained more or less the same when compared to society in the early 1900’s. What strikes the change between the 1950’s and today as “bewilderingly different” is the existing social order along with its norms and values.

The driving force of this dramatic social change, taking place within the last 50 years, has been the rise of creativity which has instated itself in our economy and society, as it values creativity as well as creative impulse. Creativity in today’s world is continual and widespread. Technological creativity and economical creativity have interacted with artistic and cultural creativity to produce a “creative ethos” that compels our society through its dynamic transformation. Through the development of these creative elite in our society we are also met with a responsibility to the rest of humanity, to guide and direct them throughout the course of their lives. This must be applied especially to those who are disadvantaged and cannot take care of themselves adequately. Through innovation and design, their needs can be met so that they may harness a sense of belonging in the world.

The land located immediately south of the Hume Hall Honors Residential housing consists of approximately one or two acres encircled by a number of trees, all of which is on a slope when looking at the topography of the land. A proposal has been made to build a garden for the blind on this sector of land. Different types of plants and natural resources would be installed into this area in the creation of this garden that would require the use of sensory functions other than just sight or vision. An important bodily function or sense must be greatly considered when dealing with the blind is their sense of touch. In the book Sensory Design, authors Joy Malnar and Frank Vodvarka describe haptic perception, which they quote from James J. Gibson, as “a sense of touch that includes temperature, pain pressure, and kinesthesia encompassing both body sensation and muscle movement.