Beyond Vision - Arts and Recreation Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Abstract

One of the main consequences of visual impairment is developing a sedentary lifestyle which results in poor physical endurance & mental health; making Art & recreational activities a necessity as they enrich physical health, emotional well-being, and cognitive functioning adding up to the overall development of visually challenged individuals. Bangalore has a fair number of schools & training centers that offer education & vocational training for the blind & visually impaired but there is merely any infrastructure that promotes arts & recreational activities for them. This thesis project is aimed towards filling that gap. The majority of human perception, learning, cognition, and actions are mediated by vision. Hence, designing spaces for the visually challenged demands a multisensory approach that interacts with the senses that are suppressed by the dominance of vision.