On Friday 24 July, Exeter Cathedral staff met with representatives of InFocus, the vision impairment and complex needs charity, to mark the launch of its new Braille Visitor Guide – a vital aid that will help those with sight loss to enjoy discovering one of Devon’s most iconic landmarks.
Exeter Cathedral’s commissioning to InFocus of the Guide came about following work experience visits to the Cathedral made by students from its Specialist College. It was the charity’s Braille and Tactile Resources Technician, Rosie Barron, who then transcribed the existing Visitor Guide into two forms of Braille (uncontracted, or Grade 1, and contracted – previously known as Grade 2).
InFocus’ Director of Income Generation and Business Development, Laurence Blyth, said “We’re delighted to have partnered with Exeter Cathedral on this important project. As a local charity with more than 180 years of experience supporting people with vision impairments, it’s wonderful to share our expertise in a way that helps make such an iconic local landmark more accessible. It’s been a privilege to work alongside the Cathedral team to create Braille Visitor Guides that will help more people experience everything the Cathedral has to offer, and we look forward to seeing the positive difference they make.”
The launch was an important moment for both parties, giving Exeter Cathedral’s newly installed Interim Dean, The Very Revd Stephen Waine, an opportunity to hear first-hand the ways in which individuals with disabilities can experience the beauty, architecture and spirituality of the Cathedral.
Nic Smith, InFocus’ Deputy Principal and Head of Vision Impairment, shared with those marking the launch the power of using accessible communication such as Braille or audio description to make people feel welcome, before giving the Interim Dean an enlightening Braille lesson in the Cathedral’s 13th century Lady Chapel.
The Very Revd Stephen Waine said, “Exeter Cathedral is incredibly proud to partner with InFocus to help young people and adults with vision impairment in Exeter and further afield to live their best lives. Our Christian faith encourages us to care for one another, and this is just one of the many steps I hope that we as a Cathedral community can take to ensure every individual feels welcome.”
Exeter Cathedral is encouraging those with vision impairment to step inside and discover afresh its one thousand years of history with both the new Braille Visitor Guide, which includes a printed tactile floor plan of the Cathedral, and with a small-scale model of the Cathedral, which can be found in the Friends’ Cloister Gallery.
The launch of the new Braille Visitor Guide coincides with Exeter Cathedral hosting the Called As We Are exhibition in its Lady Chapel from Wednesday 12 to Wednesday 19 August. Featuring a series of twelve portraits by photographer Ruth Samuels, the exhibition celebrates the life and witness of disabled, Deaf and neurodivergent individuals ministering and working within the Church of England, further highlighting the Cathedral’s ongoing commitment to inclusion and accessibility.