Project Report by Alex Bulmer Project Title: Blind Travel Writing

Table of Contents

Biography of Alex Bulmer ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 3

Introduction to Report …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4

Executive Summary ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 5

Countries and Cities Travelled ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 6

Blindness and Travel ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 7

Inclusive Education ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 12

Writing and Literacy ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 15

Access to Arts and Culture – Developing Quality of Life …………………………………………………………. 18

Blindness and Culture …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 20

Recommendations and Future Activity ………………………………………………………………………………….. 22

Conclusions ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 24

Additional Material ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 26

Biography of Alex Bulmer

Alex Bulmer BA, ADVS. MA

Writer, Director, Teacher

Alex is the writer and narrator of the critically acclaimed acoustic installation LIFE UNSEEN. She is a New York Radio Award nominee, Society of Canadian Musicians award recipient, writer of two award winning short films, and writer of the stage play SMUDGE, which earned two Best New Play nominations in Canada, and was Time Out’s Critics Choice during its UK premiere.

Alex has written for The Royal Court, London 2012 Olympics, Graeae , BBC radio; winning an AMI award for her adaptation of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Channel 4 series Cast Offs (nominated for BAFTA and Royal Television Society Award), Theatre Centre and Face Front.

She is co-founder and Artistic Director of Invisible Flash UK, co-creator of The Canadian based Republic of Inclusion and Artistic Director of Cripping The Stage in association with The British Council Toronto.

Her teaching interests are in the area of voice, writing and inclusive creative education. Credits include Central School of Speech and Drama UK, Rose Bruford College, Clean Break, London Metropolitan University, Lyric Belfast, The National Theatre School of Canada, the APAE Institute Brazil, SESC Madureira Rio, Extant Theatre, Deafinitely Theatre, and the Banff School of Fine Arts.

Alex was awarded the visa status of Highly Skilled Migrant when she moved to the United Kingdom from her home country of Canada in 2003. She is now a citizen of both countries.

In 2014 she was named as one of the UK’s most influential disabled artists by Power Magazine.

Alex holds a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities from Bishops University, an Advanced Diploma in Voice Studies from The Central School of Speech and Drama, and a Master of Arts with distinction in Screenwriting from The University of the Arts London.

Introduction to Report

What is it like to travel blind? This was the central question behind this project; inspired by an experience of travelling seventeen years ago at an early stage of my sight loss, and the travels and writing by the UK’s James Holman.

My objectives were numerous, namely as follows:

 To re-trace some of blind travel writer James Holman’s journey  To travel as a blind person in command of the journey  To write this travel experience from a blind perspective  To maintain a daily travel journal while abroad and generate an on-line blog  To inspire and encourage blind people to write about the world from their perspective  To create a body of writing by blind writers  To provide writing workshops in schools for blind students  To educate and enlighten sighted people about the 'mysterious' reality of living blind  To motivate blind young people to take risks  To share stories by James Holman and introduce him to young blind people as an important part of blind history  To make the entire body of work available to the public

My dissemination process involved visits to three schools for blind young people, the creation of a web journal and potential productions or publications in association with the BBC or the RNIB.

The workshop structure involved two sessions: one following an initial travel experience and a second following completion of travel. This initial workshop would focus on the relationship between ourselves as blind people, and the environments we encounter. Together, we would discuss our perception of the world and how we pass through it, and how we might document this. On my return from the remaining travel I would share my experiences with the students. I would also provide support to them so that they could further develop their writing.

Collection of my own writing was a priority, but so too was the involvement of other blind people and their experiences.

Executive Summary

This report will address the objectives outlined above, with particular emphasis on the following:

 Blindness  Acquired versus congenital blindness and the challenges of travelling without sight  Inclusive education  Literacy and blindness  Writing  Language and blindness  Access to cultural facilities, ie. galleries, museums and historical sites  Blindness as culture  Shared experience and de-medicalizing blindness  Blindness and travel

Countries and Cities Travelled

The Winston Churchill Fellowship supported me to travel to the following destinations:

Germany: (2014)  Freiburg October 16-19  Heidelberg October 19-22  Mainz October 22-24  Ferry up the Rhine River; stopping in St Goar en route October 24  Koblenz October 24  Cologne October 25-29  Berlin - postponed and rescheduled

America: (2015)  Atlanta May 17  Nashville May 18-21  Memphis May 21-24  New Orleans May 24-27  Montgomery May 28

Portugal: (2015)  Porto September 11

Spain: (2015)  Tui September 12  O Porrino September 13  Arcade September 14  Pontevedra September 15  Caldas de Reis September 16  Padron September 17  Santiago September 18-22  Barcelona September 22-27

During the year I also visited Toronto and Paris. Although these were not supported by the W.C. Fellowship, I do include some references to these places in the travel journal.

Blindness and Travel

Reflecting on the initial proposal, things did not entirely go to plan. I initially intended to create a daily blog which would be available to blind people and the general public to follow as I travelled. I completed the first journey before visiting schools in order to share my first travel experience with them, but rather than offer to share daily blogs, I told stories of my experience and committed to collecting my writing into a travel journal which would be available to them via my website. The proposed plan to write a daily blog which they would follow had shifted. The reality of my travelling experience set me toward a rethink. It’s important to point out that I was not born blind. The impact of this plays some significance in the need and decision to alter the approach. So too does the sight- biased nature of tourism.

My immigration to blindness can cause imbalance and conflict. Ambitions can sometimes be seeded in a psychology of seeing rather than non-seeing. This can be advantageous as it can support high notions of possibility, high self-expectation, and optimism. The comment “she doesn’t let sight loss get in her way” is often expressed as strength. But this too can be vulnerability. When expectations are imbalanced, grounded more in an attempt to act and achieve as though sighted, without enough grounding in the reality of functioning blind; problems arise. In a world designed for the seeing, this may seem an obvious point, and an obvious lesson to be learned quickly. But my travelling illuminated the fact that despite years of adjustments, gradual sight loss can be like running to catch up with yourself. It’s hard to become blind and not continue to think as a sighted person. Conceptually, at times it’s a mismatch.

I had expected some challenges but anticipated that, being with a companion, the experience would be primarily positive and exciting and full of inspiring stories to share. The writing would flow easily, I thought, as it would follow inspiring days. Quite possibly, my initial focus was overly concerned with the impact my writing would have for other blind people, rather than allowing the experience to simply be authentic. I needed to allow the experience to first be genuinely my own.

The initial trip to Germany was overly planned, overly scheduled and went at too fast a pace. I was attempting seven cities in eighteen days involving planes, taxis, trains, a ferry, the underground and different hotels and Air B and B’s.

Leaving some destinations after only one or two full days did not allow me time to settle, adjust or become orientated. Changing living environments meant constantly learning the route to the bathroom, the layout of the sink versus toilet, how to operate different showers, where the bed is in the room; so many important details of basic functioning that can be embraced quickly using sight, but are studied and practiced when blind. It was exhausting. Equally difficult was the nature of the trip. I attempted a number of visits to historical sites and museums. I was particularly disappointed by a museum in Mainz that claimed to be accessible and suggested some sort of interactive workshop. Although we inquired before entering, the staff did not understand my needs, confused audio guide as audio description, which it is not, and, as they admitted on my departure, was thinking about wheelchair access and those with hearing impairments. The historical sites visited, castles and ruins, did not offer audio or tactile possibilities to directly connect to the experience.

There were few alternatives to “site-seeing” or is it “sight-seeing”? The term says it all. As the days passed my sense of connection to the world around me was diminishing. Despite my companion’s skill at describing images, I was tuning out, drifting off and disengaging. One without sight can’t continue if day after day one relies nearly entirely on someone’s translation of what is seen. I tried to rescue the situation with music and finding people to hear who spoke English. I tried sampling differing kinds of food. But after one very frightening night in Cologne, when I became disoriented

7 on a pedestrian island in the middle of speeding traffic, I needed to halt the endeavour. I went home, felt like I’d failed and reflected on the experience for weeks. Although it was very upsetting at the time, it possibly provided the best learning for me personally, and directed the rest of the project toward far more positive outcomes.

Below is a sample of some of the writing from this journey: Freiburg, Germany Danielle invited us to join her for a walking tour that evening. She walked us through the maze of roads and lanes which criss and cross in all directions. The cobblestone underfoot was strangely comforting and therapeutic – perhaps because it felt less like a surface created for large automobiles and more interesting to the foot. I’d go so far to credit cobblestones as the inspiration for reflexology. She told us of some local folklore - if you step foot into the Freiburg gulley (Bächle) you must marry a Freiburger. Good thing she pinned me to the taxi. Danielle pointed out a number of Freiburg highlights: the oldest hotel in Germany, the smallest house in Freiburg, several shoe stores, a wine tasting café, a brewery, the Dreisam River, top restaurants, the mosaics which lie in the streets outside every shop. Most of this had little meaning for me, as there was little sensory input other than words. I noted carefully the time taken between one place and another in order to gain some spacial understanding. Most alive, was the beer brewery which emitted a particular and wonderful smell. Although little detail emerged throughout the tour, I welcomed the listening space around me. Freiburg had a blissful absence of traffic. Automobiles often create walls of noise that push against my face, leaving me feeling as if I am moving through a narrow tunnel. Freiburg on this Thursday evening was wide. On my way to our Bed and Breakfast flat, I took my hand off the railing and felt the walls. They were constructed of stone, dusty, jagged and unpredictable. I slapped them as I climbed the three flights of stairs. A hint of stone dust tickled my nose and for a moment, on the first floor, a sniff of daffodils too. Michael explained there were pots of flowers outside of Danielle’s flat. The simple act of feeling the walls took me to imagined spaces of old worlds. These walls held centuries of stories. That night, I lay on my bed and listened for familiar sounds. There were none. I felt a little lost. Although the journey had gone smoothly so far, the place I’d entered was not much more than words and scattered voices. Time, I told myself, time. The pool in Los Angeles took half an hour to understand. This was a new city in a country I’d never been to. Feeling lost was likely to be expected. I reached for my IPhone and turned on Canadian radio. There is comfort in the known. Cologne It was dark. I’d already been feeling anxious about yet another new place to stay and learn and figure out. That morning I got out of bed and moved through the room in a pattern that I’d learned in the previous hotel. I was confused and my sense of being present was fading. It feels as though nothing has any place, nothing is fixed, or stable. Like a small boat in a big storm, it’s as if anything could suddenly blow up and knock you overboard.

Michael and I were walking at a clip next to the river alongside a busy stretch of roadway. We crossed a set of roads but at that point no cars were passing. Then suddenly headlights and speeding engines surrounded me. I’m sure he described the situation so I would understand. But his words weren’t going in. I just saw flashes of headlights from all sides, and felt crushed by a tidal wave of speeding noise. London It’s late October 2014. I’m supposed to be in Berlin. Instead I’m at the end of my London home street of Rectory Gardens, in a small café called Bloomers Florists. They sell flowers as well as food, which explains the name. I walked in here, a sense of gloom at the thought of sitting down to write. Usually I look forward to my creative solitude, eager to lose myself in my plays or song lyrics. Not today. To find the words to express my final days in Germany is no escape into the imagination. But I’d left out of need. I suspect that sometimes my actions begin with sighted ambition, and collide with my sightless reality. I want to learn from the blind traveller. Where did Holman get his strength and resolve? I’m avoiding making decisions about further travel, but know I have to keep going. I’d intended to travel to France or Italy. The thought of any more castles or museums or galleries where everything is displayed for the eyes to behold puts me off. Site –seeing. Or is it sightseeing? Might as well call it seeing-seeing. Why must it all be for the eyes?

I searched more excerpts of Holman’s writing; to re- invigorate my resolve.

What worked for him? Did he flounder or get depressed. I looked again at his writing and noted several references to his enjoyment of food, music and conversation. When I learned of the historian Jason Roberts, who wrote Sense of The World based on the life and travels of James Holman, I found references that suggested Holman had occasionally suffered from melancholia. I found further information which referenced his visits to the Americas. Roberts identified Holman as the World’s Greatest Traveller, and proposed that this remarkable man had in fact visited every known land inhabited by humankind.

I had intended to travel to France and Italy. Considering my previous experience, I seriously questioned the wisdom of entering another country where the language was foreign and the cultural opportunities perhaps inaccessible. I made the decision to learn from my blind mentor and choose a country that would feed my ears. I also would slow down the pace. Holman’s journeys often took days and days from one place to another. There are, I thought, benefits to the old world way of getting about. The fast pace nature of the twenty-first century might be nice for some, but for me, I’d much rather be listening out for a horse and buggy than a car or bus or lorry.

I lost my nerve during my initial trip to Germany – and learning lessons from travelling is the best reason for doing it.

I therefore requested to the WC Trust a change in plan and proposed a road trip across the music belt of America.

America proved to be very successful. The music did indeed give me direct connection to my surroundings and the access to spoken language returned my love and capacity for eavesdropping. There is so much pleasure in catching small sound bites as people pass by on the street. Travelling blind to countries where the language is unknown can cause a sense of disconnection. I would in

9 future prepare with classes or an audio language course to be somewhat more enabled in non- English speaking countries. The challenge and opportunity is exciting. But language should be considered when choosing travel destinations.

The long hours of driving in the car worked very well. I was not being bumped around or shouted at (which happened on a Heidelberg train), nor were my travel companion and I dancing around impatient crowds with two bags in tow. I also found listening to the radio very grounding and interesting. There was too much ‘Jesus music’ for my taste, but this in itself told me something about the place I was in. I felt very present.

I had the opportunity to explore one more country from Holman’s travels. I’d looked again at Holman’s journeys. He clearly had a desire to move toward nature and rely so often only on his own two feet. He’d written about his passion to enter natural environments and move away from the overly populated. I had not yet spent much time in less urban spaces, and so this appealed to me. So too did the notion of using my legs as the primary mode of transportation. I investigated the possibilities of a small island in Greece, Costa Rica, Cuba, or Spain. In the case of Costa Rica, the climate risks at the time I wished to travel could have sabotaged the entire endeavour. Cuba offered wonderful music and cultural possibilities, but I wanted a sensory and mobility experience away from what I’d previously done, and closer to Holman’s love of the natural world.

I was reminded of the Camino; a long walk in Spain with several routes concluding in Santiago. I researched and decided this was the best next choice. It would use far more of my own steam than that of vehicles, it would keep me outdoors, take me through urban, rural and natural landscapes and I could go at it slowly. It felt a choice connected to Holman’s interests. But unlike how I’d approached Germany, following exactly the route he had covered two hundred years earlier, I constructed a route appropriate for 21st century travel, and used his passion for the outdoors and for the country of Spain as my link.

I learned through further research that Barcelona offered good access for blind people. I added the city to my Spanish itinerary.

My walk began in Tui. Tui to Santiago is approximately one hundred and seventeen kilometres. It essentially covers the Galician region of Spain. It was the most satisfying travel experience of the project. Walking the land taught me to understand not only the distance, but the topography, vegetation, wildlife and some aspects of village culture. My feet remained in constant contact with the earth, giving me perception of the hills and valleys, woods and streams, pavements and pebble paths. I learned something very interesting too about anticipation and travel, which to some degree I’d been missing. Below is an entry which will appear in the travel writing website: Pontevedra September 2015 At breakfast I asked Michael to again read the Camino information pack to me. It had helped give context on the previous day’s walk. This morning I wanted something more. I asked Michael if he could make it tactile; to not only tell me what was coming up but also show me. After all, the pack included pictures and graphics and directional maps. He grabbed a napkin, a pen, a knife and some cheese and suddenly the table became an art studio. We left our hotel and set off for our 23 kilometre day... I stopped for a moment and pointed north, indicating where I thought the river might be. Michael confirmed I was right. His breakfast lesson had worked. We crossed a bridge and entered countryside,

once more a delivery of anticipated gifts. This process of meaningful information transforming into reality thrilled me. I owned that ground. My feet were launching me through the air. My thoughts full of streams, hills, woods and villages to come. I alerted Michael to be prepared for breakfast arts and crafts every day. Being outside left my ears continuously open to the sounds around me, no windows or voices blocking my “view”. And the occasional meeting and greeting with other walkers just peppered the journey with quirkiness and fellowship. Despite a badly blistered toe and sore hips, this was, for me, the perfect form of Blind Travel.

Outside Rheinfels Castle overlooking the Rhine

Inclusive Education

My experience while leading workshops with the young people also further illuminated some of the challenges I’d anticipated and some I had not. Firstly, many blind children who do not have secondary complex disabilities are integrated into mainstream schools. This is a good thing except that when a project such as mine is going around to schools for blind students, they are not easily included. Within some of the blind schools, there were literacy issues to address. This didn’t deter me; it simply meant adjusting the programme of activity from writing to storytelling. In the case of Joseph Clark, the writing ability was there but the capacity to write quickly within a workshop not necessarily available for all. So access to my process was an issue. As such, I changed the process for each school and primarily had a positive experience. I was particularly delighted with my initial workshops at the Joseph Clark School in east London and Linden Lodge in Wimbledon. In both cases, the teachers used the workshop to feed their curriculum activity. At Linden Lodge, the teachers used the session and the ideas around travel and sensing the environments we pass through to launch a term of creative work around senses and space. I was initially uncertain about the relevance of travel for this age group. But on further consideration recognized that just walking through a park for the first time can, as a blind person, be as much of an expedition and discovery as going to a foreign country.

I pitched the notion of travel to be less about packing up and touring countries, and more to consider how we travel through our spaces as blind people. I encouraged them to think about the difference between moving around their room or home and going to a park or lesser known environment.

Students at Linden Lodge may not have been perceived as accomplished writers, but what I observed and felt from those young people was a real engagement with their experiences, words and ideas. Some told stories about going to a relative’s house, and others did describe moments in other countries. In a few cases the students imagined going to countries and used their imagination to create fictional travel stories.

It was entirely joyful. What’s important to note here is the element of flexibility in terms of approach and the essence of accessible education. The process is not to conclude “they can’t do that” or “it’s beyond their ability” but instead question what is the essential intention of the exercise or activity, and what is needed to create a pathway for these learners to most potentially move toward or arrive at this objective?

In this case the intention was to inspire blind young people to think about how they travel, to embrace their particular sensory culture, and to find language to articulate this. I believe this was achieved.

The following is an excerpt from a transcription taken within the classroom:

Alex Bulmer, Winston Churchill Fellowship, Schools' Workshops, UK, March 2015.

Linden Lodge School, Wimbledon Workshop One Monday 2nd March Pre-GCSE students

Lorna Rambles, Lead Teacher introduces the session.

Alex is here to talk about the Winston Churchill Fellowship. She has a visual impairment just like all of you. That is why Naomi is here, to get her here, so she knows where she is. We have invited her to talk today and this will form part of our planning for sensory week.

Student introductions clockwise from Alex.

ALEX Does everyone wake up every morning?

Laughter and yes.

ALEX Anyone get out of bed? Leave your room? Your own house?

Laughter.

ALEX Does anyone do anything with their hands to get around?

LAURA Cane. I hear it and feel it if it bangs into anything and it stops me. I have a new carpet at home.

ALEX That must feel nice underfoot.

LAURA Yes!

ALEX Do you use it to know where you are?

LAURA Yes!

ANOTHER STUDENT I use a cane too. And body protection 'trailing'. I put hands up above my face for protection and to trail along the corridor (NOTE: THE SCHOOL HAS TACTILE SIGNS UP ON THE WALLS TO COMMUNICATE THINGS LIKE A FLIGHT OF STAIRS TO ANYONE TRAILING).

ALEX I use a mix of sound, touch, texture, smell. Like the smell of bread by Bermondsey tube station. It tells me where I am.

STUDENT I rarely use it except to go to the hospital. I would really like to go to Nandos. Really like chicken mash with ketchup. I am all about the one in Newham or Rochester food court; you go upstairs and jacket potatoes and stuff, mmm.

ALEX I like jacket potatoes too!

BLYTHE I use transport for going to restaurants...the one in France...Le Petit Maison...we go by car, I'm a passenger. Dad is driving. Blythe laughs.

ZOE I have travelled the whole world...I am desperate to go back to Australia. My sister lives there. I go by plane.

ANOTHER STUDENT I go to Pizza Express, how posh, for pepperoni. In a car. I'm a passenger. Mummy drives. I eat lots. And sometimes MacDonald’s. I eat cheesy bites and chips and chicken nuggets. It tastes salty. Mummy drives the car, she comes to get me and we go.

Big applause

PEARL I go to restaurant, in a car. Mummy’s restaurant. I can hear her. My favourite food is pesto pasta.

ALEX So far I have travelled to Germany, London, Toronto and the USA, as part of the fellowship. Where would you like me to go next? Somewhere that is not in the UK?

STUDENTS GO ROUND WITH THEIR SUGGESTIONS Marbs. Marbella, Spain. I am thinking about travelling there when I am 18. France, Paris. Australia, Sydney. Spain, for the chips! Spain, in the holidays I go with mummy. Mars! You should go to Mars.

Writing and Literacy

In the case of Joseph Clark, what struck me was how poetic the students were with their descriptions. Clearly, a lack of sight inherently develops unique phrases and expressions to capture experiences. Words and metaphors really matter. I spoke of this with teacher Cheryl, who also told me of the importance of creative e-writing to nourish and develop this necessary skill and often inherent strength. She also spoke of her frustration with government-set English examinations. Often, the writing prompt totally excludes the blind student as it assumes a sighted status. She offered an interesting example. Her GCSE students could be asked to write creatively about joining Richard Branson on a flight in a hot air balloon. Such a concept would likely be outside a blind person’s frame of reference, at that age. Even at an older age, unless you’d been in one, it would be terribly difficult to understand it sufficiently to write. A sighted student has a much better chance of at least knowing what one looks like, how high they fly and the proportions. Some of her students imagined a balloon inflated by blowing. Attention is needed when setting those examination questions to ensure sensory status is included and considered.

I found the third school, in Liverpool, the least successful experience, and my return visit needs to be reconsidered and may not be appropriate within the intentions of this project. If so, better communication in terms of intention of the visit will be needed and direct communication with the class teacher ahead of time.

This was the only school were my communication had been limited to simply the head teacher.

The following is a section of a transcript taken at Joseph Clark, which demonstrates a differing and more advanced approach to the concepts of writing and travel.

Alex Bulmer, Winston Churchill Fellowship, Schools' Workshops, UK, March 2015.

Joseph Clarke School, Highams Park Workshop One Wednesday 4th March GCSE students

A CHINESE PROVERB WRITTEN UP ON THE WALL Tell me and I will forget Show me and I will remember Involve me and I will understand

BACKGROUND EXPLAINED BY TEACHER TO ALEX BEFORE WORKSHOP STARTS Teacher: GCSE curriculum now has much more focus on blogs, twitter feeds etc. Modern forms of communication. So we encourage students to get experience of writing these. Compared with previously when there was more focus on traditional, text heavy mediums, like letter and email correspondence. Even email is a bit dated now. Although it is not as old fashioned as pen and paper.

Most students will leave next year to go to sixth form colleges.

We have a range of disabilities here - all have a visual impairment and some have other complex needs. The students today have a mix of part and full visual impairment.

ALEX Do you operate a 'relaxed classroom'?

TEACHER I would say we are 'less formal' than a mainstream school but I wouldn't call it a relaxed classroom; we still stick to the curriculum. There is always a learning objective. Any special needs school like ours can alter curriculum to meet the needs of the individuals. Our basic ground-rule is respect for each other's needs. Listen to the speaker, take turns, doesn't matter if you agree or who is speaking, whether it is a teacher or a student.

STUDENT INTRODUCTIONS Abdullahi Andrew Samiah Iqra

ALEX INTRODUCTION Now tell me a place where you like to go?

STUDENTS ALL UNDERSTAND THIS INITIALLY AS MEANING WHERE THEY WOULD LIKE TO GO, HYPOTHETICALLY

SAMIAH Paris

ANDREW China

ABDULLAHI Somewhere in America

IQRA Dubai

ALEX Great. What about places you have been to and enjoy going to?

SAMIAH Oslo. Capital of Norway.

ANDREW Royal Albert Hall.

ABDULLAHI Saudi Arabia, every summer.

IQRA Pakistan.

ALEX

What makes writing good or more interesting is detail. You can apply this to travel writing or fiction or non-fiction. Detail makes writing come alive for the reader. Writing is anything that records your idea. I’m guessing that, like me, using pen and paper isn’t so easy?

Yes and laughter.

ALEX So let’s agree that by writing we mean however you need to get the thoughts and ideas down. Could mean using a talking computer, or a scribe, or speaking into an audio recorder, or using pictures, or a combination of pictures and words. Today we are going to do a couple of exercises. First we are going to listen to each of you describe your experience of these places that you say you like to go to in detail. Think about your sense experiences in these places. Your memories. What are your senses? What sense do you use day-to-day?

STUDENTS GO ROUND WITH THEIR DESCRIPTIONS

ALEX Another element is character. Something essential to travel writing. Because travel writing is not simply a travel log. It is not just pure description. You are writing your personal experience therefore it is happening to you, to a character. And this is communicated via the words. Therefore for me to write good travel writing it needs to be about MY experience of a place. It is specific. Yours can be specific too.

STUDENTS DESCRIBE THEMSELVES AS CHARACTERS IN THE STORIES; THEIR TALENTS, INTERESTS, SENSORY REALITY, CULTURE AND ETHNICITY.

ALEX Another element of good writing is structure. The simplest way to understand structure is as a beginning, middle, and end. In creative writing this basically means as each reader feels that they have been on a journey with a character or characters and learned something.

So... 1) Detail 2) Character 3) Structure

NEW EXERCISE. STUDENTS TELL A STORY ABOUT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS IN THEIR CHOSEN PLACE STARTING WITH 'IT WAS WHEN I...'

STUDENTS TELL THEIR STORIES

ALEX So to recap today we have been over a description of yourself, a place and a description of a story about yourself in that place. A memory story. As a writer can choose to put this all together and change the order, move things around. You write a draft, this is your first draft. Then you begin to shape the first draft into a new draft or the final.

Access to Arts and Culture – Developing Quality of Life

As previously mentioned my initial travel between Freiburg and Cologne included some negative experiences. Switching now to the positives, I was exposed to some exciting and proactive efforts in Barcelona and Berlin.

Of significance is work being done by Associació Discapacitat Visual Catalunya, a role model organization founded by a man with Retinitis Pigmentosa named Sr. Manuel Antoni Marti Salvador website: http://www.b1b2b3.org/es/

The Visually Impaired Association Catalonia is a not-for-profit organization that provides services to people with visual disabilities. Its goal is to improve quality of life, and social integration. Over 200 volunteers help the association. The centre also houses a blind-led radio station and a small museum of objects, both historical and current, which have been or continue to be used by people with visual impairments. The ambition of the organization is to develop more arts and cultural activities such as acting courses, radio drama production, fine arts classes and, to develop a museum of the senses.

This organization is unlike any I have ever encountered in the UK, in Canada, or on my travels abroad. Being completely blind-led, it avoids any notion of charity and actively promotes blindness as a culture (described in more detail below).

I also noted good access for blind and visually impaired at the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona. Here, small and useful models of the architecture were available on each floor, enabling me to have a good overall concept of the building before investigating it in smaller detail. (Much like my decision to view Freiburg in full from the hilltop before exploring the city piece by piece.)

Blind people had also been imagined as potential visitors. Braille descriptions were displayed on the walls of the gallery, a tactile map was on offer upon entry and there were some selections of art available to touch. I was asked to submit a feedback report to the staff about my visit in terms of accessibility. A copy of this report is available in the Additional Material section of this report.

Prior to my rescheduled travel to Berlin, I discovered a website called Blind Berlin which offered sighted guides to blind people travelling to the city and listed a series of recommended sites. Sadly some were seasonal such as the tactile model park of the city, but it’s important to note that city models exist. I’m not aware of an organization or service in the UK specifically for blind tourists to the capital city.

The cancelled visit to Berlin was rescheduled following Spain. The visit was very positive. The city itself is very accessible with good underfoot braille in train and underground stations, audible crossings and inclusive museums and galleries. Of particular significance was a visit to the Museum of Blindness and the Museum Blindenwerkstatt Otta Weidt.

The latter museum tells of Otto Weidt and his brush-making business which employed blind and deaf people, many of whom were Jews. During the Second World War this remarkable man protected them from deportation and death, as well as finding them hiding places and sending food and money to the Jewish ghettos.

Also significant were the access provisions; an easy to use audio set including both a description of the exhibit as well as an audio guide, tactile maps and tactile materials.

How I would compare these organizations to services on offer in the UK is somewhat of a challenge. I am not making continuous visits to all the galleries and museums in the country, so my comments reflect my experience and how other blind people have articulated their impressions of the UK.

My experience tells me that the larger theatre venues are providing audio description and therefore some access to culture is available. But I don’t find the galleries and museums are doing enough and I think the above are good models of practice from which the United Kingdom can benefit.

Imagining blind people as active participants in these spaces benefits everyone. It de-medicalizes society’s notion of blindness as illness. It opens doors to new ways of thinking around how art is presented and the assumptions within this. It improves quality of life for blind people and their friends and family and it will only lead to new innovations in arts practice itself, with the possibility of fostering blind artists of the future.

Examining a Gaudi chimney on the rooftop of La Pedrera, Barcelona.

Blindness and Culture

Within each country I arranged to meet with other blind people.

In Freiburg I met with Daniel who works in a fully darkened restaurant, and Vivian a blind Olympian who introduced me to her family the following day.

In Heidelberg I drank coffee, sipped wine and had a blind chess lesson with Grt, a fifty year old computer programmer with Retinitis Pigmentosa. Grt and I talked about sight loss, relationships and power, inter-dependence, communication, the war, politics; when I said good bye to him I felt quite emotional. To find so much in common with someone so many miles away after one day did move me.

I met Bill in Memphis, Doug in Atlanta, Seidrich in Cologne, Irena, Anna and Manuel in Spain. I felt my blindness was a connector to people around the world. It became clear that as a community we do share a culture of blindness; a way of organizing our lives and functioning that carries a common sensory practice.

While in Nashville I shared dinner with a group of blind and visually impaired people in one of their homes. This evening was filled with laughter, honesty, common threads, shared stories and a real sense of community. Men and women, some working some not, all demonstrating a real respect and friendship for each other. They told stories of going dancing, bowling, had cabaret nights, games nights – they had created a way of being with such passion for living blind and living well. Some of them had travelled extensively and I am fortunate to include in my collection a contribution from Peggy Ivy. Here is a brief excerpt: Peggy Ivy, Nashville Tennessee The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. Saint Augustine. I love it - A quote from a saint regarding my two favourite hobbies. I couldn’t agree more with Saint Augustine – seeing all the famous tourist attractions, eating what they eat, learning a new language (well at least hello, goodbye, please and thank you). As for reading, there is never enough time for the pleasure of reading a great book! Oh, how my world has changed especially when it comes to these favourite hobbies. This glorious world with all its beauty and fascinating aspects has slowly faded away. I once snorkelled the Great Barrier Reef, went pony trekking in the Lake District, and climbed the Great Wall of China. I must be honest - travel has lost some of its allure when you can no longer people watch and be the adventurer. Reading is just not the same without the feel of that book in your hands. Enough of the pity party! If your life is not full and rewarding, you must take the responsibility. In 1987 I was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, but foolishly denied that I would actually go blind. Well, here I am – blind. For twenty-two years I had been a travel agent, and now could no longer do my job adequately and in a timely manner. How to reinvent myself and create that full and rewarding life? To start with I had always dreamed of learning to ballroom dance. Was that now out of the question, not because of two left feet, but two very bad eyes? Fortunately, I found professional instructors that were willing to take the challenge; Bobby Green, a retired Fred Astaire teacher and Patricia Lefler, who had been teaching for over 25 years. To learn the basics, we moved my hands as if they were my feet. No inhibition here – they let me feel their body movements. It’s called braille, baby! Practice, practice, practice was my mantra. Don’t be afraid to dance with any one that asked. Now, 8 years later, I still have a lot to learn, but I often dance the night (or day) away! Dancers are some of the nicest people in the world, and I’ve made some wonderful friends. I am currently on the board of a local dance club. For the past

several years the two local dance clubs I belong to have worked very hard to assist me in raising over $7,000 for the Foundation Fighting Blindness. Then, Patricia Lefler came to me with a proposal that was quite fascinating. She was willing to devote her time to develop a protocol based on our lessons to teach other blind and visually impaired persons ballroom dancing. We formed the Dancing Peas, Patricia and Peggy, and have taught at the Tennessee School for the Blind, the Tennessee Association of Blind Athletes conference, churches, and even at the Vermont Council of the Blind. And travel, well I’ve danced in Chicago, Atlanta, several cities in Florida, and even in Cuzco, Peru.

Holding Elvis’ microphone: Sun Studios, Memphis

Recommendations and Future Activity

Blindness and Travel

 Share report with British Board of Tourism and Action for Blind People with aim to develop access for blind tourists to the UK. This could include a provocation for the establishment of a website such as offered by Blind Berlin, or a creative project using audio to improve access and inclusion to historical sites in the UK. A more creative approach will offer a richer experience than standard audio description, but would be a good companion to this traditional form of access. Could audio bring to life historical settings such as ruins or castles? How did these spaces sound all those years ago?

Blindness and Culture

 Projects to improve inclusion should be built and designed by blind people. Such as the tactile model park as noted in Berlin. Involving blind artists and creative contributors; preventing the material being translated from a sighted perspective to a blind one. The process and product needs blind-led thinking and conceiving.

Inclusive Education

 PGCE programmes should prioritize recruitment of blind adults to become teachers of blind young people. I was surprised to learn of no blind teachers leading blind students in a classroom. Having blind adults as role models is critical – I was very aware of the impact I had on the students I worked with. Why are blind people not encouraged to train to become teachers? Is the process of training and working excluding blind people?  Examination boards to be advised to consider the sensory bias of examinations.  Arts organizations and educational bodies to prioritize the need for creative writing in schools with blind children and adolescents.  Contact local council Sensory Team to identify blind students who are integrated in mainstream schools to help coordinate their inclusion.  Invisible Flash to further research travels by James Holman and seek funding through Arts Council England to develop a play for young audiences about this remarkable and unknown traveller.

Writing

 Alex to contact organizations involving blindness to invite readers to her site and invite further contributions. Alex also to complete second workshop in May.  Seek print publisher for the full travel writing material including contributions. Alex to ask Winston Churchill Trust for advice or guidance on this.  Travel website to launch February 22 and roll out over a three month period.

Arts and Culture – Developing Quality of Life

 Consider how audio and tactile information can be used to improve and develop access to cultural institutions and spaces across the UK. Initial players might include The Children’s Museum and Invisible Flash to engage young blind people to find creative ways of making exhibits exciting for blind children.

Share this report with leading galleries or museums such as the V and A or British Museum.

I have shared some of these impressions already with a staff member of Arts Council England.

I have applied for and received funding from the BBC Alumni Fund to advance my skills in the use of audio devices. This is the beginning of a longer term goal to create a live production inspired by my travelling and travel writing.

I have shared much of the learning with members of my theatre for Young Audiences Company, Invisible Flash. We wish to create a play about James Holman and will tour blind schools across the country next autumn, with a play entitled Maddy and The Invisible Band of Groovers.

Share this Report with Professor Simon Hayhoe, Program Director of the MA in Special Needs and Inclusion, at Christ Church University, Canterbury, UK. Professor Hayhoe has a strong research history and interest in arts education and blindness.

Conclusions

Travelling as a blind person has its challenges. There are things to consider in order to ensure that the experience will be positive and not disorientating or de-stabilizing. Lessons have been learned.

The process of writing was more emotionally challenging than I’d anticipated. The decision to rethink the approach and give more time and attention to it was the right action, as it has allowed me to honour the depth of the experience and be authentic.

Writing, the act of finding the words to capture a moment or a feeling or a perception has become increasingly essential for me as my capacity to see with my eyes has eroded. These journeys and this writing have made this so apparent.

Working with the young blind people has inspired and filled me with creative ideas and a passion to work more with this community.

The conversations and time shared with blind people around the world leaves me proud to be blind and aware that we do share a sensory culture.

Travel is unpredictable and should change us. I can testify that my experience changed and inspired me as a person and as an artist.

There is a good deal of work to be done in the United Kingdom to re-design environments, attitudes and systems to enable blind people genuine and meaningful inclusion in society.

Santiago: “I did it!” Holding white stick in the air in front of Catedral de Santiago de Compostela

Additional Material

1. Travel Website At present www.alexbulmer.co.uk with a link to Blind Travel Writing

GO BLIND – My Motorcycle Is In The Shop

A travel writing project by Alex Bulmer. Generously enabled by The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust. To launch in full as a three-part series on this site from February 22, 2016

Here’s a sneak peek of what’s coming:

The young boy at a nearby table is petting Zeus. Not the Greek God, but the dog God. Or to the point, my guide dog. I’m in a London café close to my Crouch End home. This hasn’t always been home to me. Originally home was Canada. Blindness too is not a place of birth. I became blind; gradually, unpredictably and persistently since my early twenties. This enforced transformation is my most profound journey, a migration to a sightless culture within which I remain a seeing immigrant.

The child next to Zeus is now laughing. No, shrieking at his habit of licking. Licking is only one of his many acts of kindness. When Zeus bounced into my life, his first loving gesture was to shove his head into the carpet and lift his bottom high in the air at my face. His second joyful achievement, on day two of our relationship, was to sprain his tail from wagging it too much. Despite his black coat and sleek physique, and my fondness for leather jackets and black boots, we will never be on the cover of Chic Travel. My dog is pure Disney.

What’s it like to travel blind? The idea came to me seventeen years ago, while visiting my dear friend Winkie. Some call her Michelle, but it’s far too mundane a name for such an original spirit. Winkie had encouraged me to leave Toronto, where I’d been living for ten years, and spend two weeks with her in Los Angeles. The offer followed my admission that losing my sight was getting the better of me. I was a mess.

I’d stopped working. Stopped socializing. I felt trapped and afraid. Getting on a plane to L.A. sounded like the perfect solution or certain disaster. Everything fell into extremes at that time. There were no “could be’s” or “sounds pleasant”. I said I’d go. Then, I did the most illogical and extraordinary thing. I called an airport hotel in Los Angeles and booked myself in for two days. Not with Winkie, but with myself. Seemed to me that what I needed to do was try to travel, try to discover the world, on my own – travelling while blind. Toronto wouldn’t actually allow me to do this. I had seen Toronto. I had too many clues through sight holes that triggered memories. I was using remembered images. And I felt as though I was hanging on to a perceptual rope that was fraying quickly. Without knowing it at the time, my instinct to go solo in L.A. for two days was to shed myself of the visual memories, the thinning rope, and try to grab on to a new way of being. That new rope was blindness.

On my first day in L.A., I used my cane to find the hotel pool. Once in it, I realized I had no idea of its size, shape, or depth. Reaching out, I felt the wall of the pool and traced it, swimming round and round in order to comprehend its size and shape. The journey revealed details I would have never noticed with my eyes. I found cracks in the concrete, chunks missing, discovered filters and flaps. I noticed how the slap slap of water against the pool edge shifted to a gentler and hollow sound by the ladder. This changed to a slap echo slap beneath the diving board. I swam around and around

26 fascinated by what I’d only ever thought of as water and walls. Eventually, I came to understand the pool shape was that of a kidney bean; round at one end and more narrow at the other. Suddenly, I existed in the pool. With a sense of its shape and sounds, I had enough sensory input to feel present. Now, fully being in its water, the last exploration was to figure out where it was deep and where shallow. A few bobs up and down filled in the information gap. It was a good half an hour to know the pool, and know that I was in this particular pool. I’d never “seen” a pool like this before and the adventure excited me. Going blind, as in going out blind, going swimming blind, going to L.A. blind, had its own time frame, its own particular detail, a continuous series of discoveries; pieces which add up to a whole. I’d become a sensory mathematician, a perceptual archaeologist.

I decided I would one day write a blind travel book. Seventeen years later I had not honoured my decision. It was 2013 and I was now living in London England. I felt I had to understand more about my sensory status. My sight had degenerated further leaving me with only light and shadow perception. The travel idea once again took hold and I looked for any writing by anyone who identified as blind. With stunned delight I discovered James Holman, an Englishman who historian Jason Roberts identifies as the world greatest traveller. Holman travelled the world in the early nineteenth century. He had become blind following a military accident and was then housed in an institution, with an allowance from the Royal family. He referred to it as his imprisonment. With wooden stick in hand, he left London, put his allowance at risk and set off, visiting, according to historical reference, all known lands inhabited by humans. His story inspired me. His writing, however, seemed strangely difficult to find. I learned, to my dismay, that much of Holman’s writing had been discarded and lost due to disbelief that a blind man could possibly observe and document the world with any accuracy or validity. That was it. I needed to follow in his footsteps and stick taps.

My plan developed. I would start in Germany, as one of three countries to explore. Using the Holman writing I managed to find, I elected to follow routes that he had travelled two hundred years earlier.

I’d fly to Basel, then use trains to move through seven cities, ferry up the Rhine with the final destination of Berlin. Going alone with only my guide dog (Zeus) was just one stick tap beyond my adventurous limits. And Zeus would hate the trains. Holman had travelled with a companion. He usually chatted away the hours in caravans, and ended up with a mate to join him on his journey. I liked the notion of a human companion, but wasn’t up for trying to pull one using my charm in a non-English speaking country from a bus. I planned ahead. Snore.

Freiburg, Germany

I stepped boldly into Freiburg without the aid of a guiding arm.

Instantly, our hostess Danielle threw herself at me, warning me not to make another move. I did think this was simply due to her not expecting a blind person to emerge from the taxi. There was a much greater reason for being pinned to the car. Lining the streets of Freiburg are deep gullies called Bächle. They range in size from three inches wide to nearly three feet wide, and are all quite deep. Had I moved another inch I would have landed backward into a very deep hole. Thanks to Danielle, I did not.

Atlanta, U.S.A.

The church door was modest and perched open. People were coming and going in small numbers, with no ticket office or security desk. As I stepped inside the sound of gospel singing guided my ears forward into the sanctuary.

We walked to the front and stood by the lectern where Martin Luther King Sr. and Martin Luther King Jr. preached their spiritual wisdom. I stood for a moment imagining them all those years ago just two feet away. At times it is hard to embrace the profoundness of such spaces. But the simplicity of the place, how ordinary it felt, and how authentic, did leave me to consider our potential to be ordinary and extraordinary at the same time.

We left the church and crossed the road toward what Michael described to be a large garden with fountains and roses. A sign identified that this was the Martin Luther King Freedom Garden. The area felt magical. The tranquil splish and tinkle of water with hundreds of roses shining their colours, smack in the middle of paved Atlanta. What a contrast!

Down the street from the Garden stood the King home. I heard a crowd gathering on its front porch. Michael whispered in my ear “It’s a tour, and I think the guide has a white stick”. I stopped him and told him I was blind. He grabbed my hand and jokingly said “Oh you poor thing”. Indeed, he too did not see. We chatted for a moment. His name was Doug and he travelled to work by bus for half an hour. His official job title was Park Ranger, and he was, apparently, dressed like one. He gave tours, manned administration desks and worked in the gift shop. He had no assistance. Familiarity with his surroundings, and things remaining in the same place made this a very blind friendly occupation. Being of his “tribe”, he gave me a secret little nudge and said he’d sneak me onto the next tour.

Spain

Within the first half hour we met a walker from Arizona named Joan. Joan is a surgical anaesthetist who had started in Lisbon and already completed three weeks of walking. When I told her I worked as a writer and theatre artist she congratulated me. A few moments later she laughed a little and said we had something in common – we get paid to wake people up. I like Joan.

Alex Bulmer covered miles and miles of ground, on foot, train, tandem bicycle, through villages, cities, cathedrals, seasides and washed out woodlands. She met blind people from around the world. And led story and writing workshops for blind students in the United Kingdom.

Here is a taste of their contribution:

ANDREW It was when we got on the coach and travelled to the Royal Albert Hall. We went there because of doing a big report. Interviewing drummers. They were there because of this world record. We got earplugs because of the loudness of the crowd, loud music. Sky Sports presenter 'King' was there. And CBBC Blue Peter that guy was there. Describing the youth world cup, it brings everyone together and changes lives.

The drum record. Everyone in the crowd gets involved, on and on. To such a point we were worried when would it finish because we had to get back. Then they met the world record. They counted the beats. The excitement. They kept going, trying to keep the crowd entertained. It went on forever. They were still counting. It took a long, long time. In the end we left to get back to school, we had to leave early. We had to leave. We walked down the stairs and filled me with happiness to seeing this record and being there seeing a wall of noise. The ending was very positive.

Come back for more on February 22, 2016 when the writing journal will officially be launched.

2. Feedback Report to MACBA

Dear Marta,

Thank you so much for arranging my visit to the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona. From previous correspondence Oksana believes that your English comprehension is excellent and that there is no need for her to create a Spanish language translation. If that is not the case, please advise and she shall be happy to translate this letter.

MACBA is very open and welcoming. The people at the front desk were friendly. We were greeted warmly by Mariona who asked me to offer any feedback following my visit. With this in mind, I will respectfully include within my comments a few access suggestions which I hope you will find useful.

Mariona offered her arm and guided me to a tactile map of the building. I felt quite comfortable accepting her assistance, as her guiding practice was confident, skilled and respectful.

The tactile map was exciting. It made me feel instantly included. It is refreshing to discover that someone such as myself, a blind person, has been imagined as a potential visitor to the gallery.

I did note that while holding the map, I felt a little confused about points of orientation. As the map is portable, it can be held by a blind person but not be in line with the geography of the building. In other words, the map might be turned to suggest the building runs behind and in front of the blind reader, when in fact the building travels more to the left and right. For example, I thought, from where I was standing and how I was holding the map, that the ramp and library were to my left when in fact they were behind me. I asked Mariona to turn the map so it matched the directional geography of the building.

I would offer a suggestion that you could assist those who use the current map to hold it so that it is directionally in line with the building. You might also indicate where the person is standing in relation to the map. The other possibility might be to fix a tactile map onto a raised stand so that it is permanently orientated to the building, and indicates exactly where the blind person is standing. This might also improve the user’s reading experience as a flat and firm surface may enable more confident tactile contact.

What is great about your portable map is that it is flexible for all ages and all bodies regardless of height. You could even make a children’s tactile map with more “fun” materials. I have created tactile maps with sighted and blind children which can be a great way to get young people involved in your space.

I was thrilled to learn more about Richard Hamilton. I found the tactile display of the seal flipper very interesting, and appreciated the braille. As I read braille very slowly I did not read it in full. I’d be interested to know if it offered a full description of the room.

Mariona was very generous and offered a great amount of detail about the artist and the work itself. My support worker, Oksana, also noted the books that were laid out for the public which made further learning very accessible. Perhaps something could be offered in audio such as a recorded synopsis of some of the information within those books. Using headphones, a blind person could access further learning without compromising anyone else's experience.

You might also consider providing an audio description of the pieces of art that are behind glass or can’t be touched. Here in the UK, I work with professional describers to find the most effective

29 words which can translate a piece of visual art or architecture into language that enables a blind person to imagine what others are seeing. You may already know of it, but in case not, it is often referred to as audio description. My very limited knowledge of Barcelona has led me to a fabulous organization you may know of called Blind Association Barcelona. Should it be of interest, they may be able to support you. www.b1b2b3.org If they are not able to advise, please do feel free to get in touch with me.

I wish to thank you again for opening your gallery to me and Oksana with such generosity. We hope to return to Barcelona in the near future, and we will look forward to a further visit to Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona.

With warm wishes.