On Monday, Project Wings to Dreams conducted an indoor navigation workshop at St. Xavier’s College, Kathmandu. The workshop included testing accessible signboards, braille labels in the lift, a protractile floor, and educational, accessible 3D models. Five students with visual disabilities from Laboratory School, Kirtipur, participated in the workshop.

Project Wings to Dreams has installed accessible signboards and braille labels in a few places and on the college’s elevator. A few years back, the college installed Podotactile, and the project members created educational, accessible 3D models.

Sanjiya Shrestha, the workshop facilitator and alumna of the college, said, “The testing of the indoor navigation was crucial because the feedback received from the students with visual disabilities will help us make the college more accessible and inclusive to the students.”

All five students commented that the accessible signboards, braille labels in the lift, protractile floor, and educational, accessible 3D models were effective. Sankalpa Acharya, one of the participants, said, “This was my first time in St. Xavier’s College, and I could not have navigated the college building if it was not for the accessible signboards. They helped me navigate the college area smoothly. The indoor navigation should be expanded in all public places.”

“The accessible signboards with the protractile floor should be expanded throughout the college area,” Yuniska Rawal, another participant, stated.

“The workshop was significant for us to enhance and expand accessibility features in not just the college premises but also plan to install accessibility features in other public places,” added Shrestha.