POWELL, Ohio (WCMH) — The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium debuted a brand-new event on Sunday. Blind, Deaf and DeafBlind Day featured hands-on activities, interpreters, and lessons about the zoo’s animals.
The event was in collaboration with local partners like Columbus Speech and Hearing and the National Helen Keller Center. Various tables were set up with games for visitors to try.
It wasn’t just for people who are deaf, blind or deafblind. The National Helen Keller Center had activities like simulation goggles and more for people to experience what it is like to be in their shoes.
“It’s a whole new experience for them to try and figure out the lived experience of a person who is deaf and blind,” John Filek with the National Helen Keller Center said.
Shirley Rybarski, who is deaf and blind, was one of the visitors. She said it was a brand-new experience for her and her favorite part by far was visiting a fox.
“That was the first time I ever got to touch a fox,” she said. “I was able to pet it and that’s the first time I ever got to experience anything like that. It was just a wonderful experience. The snake, not so much.”
Some of the visitors also had support service providers with them like Danny Lucero. He’s deaf himself but also spent the day helping those who are deafblind get around.
“I’ve seen their kind of energy flowing out of them,” he said. “The mood is definitely positive today.”
There aren’t any plans set in stone for another Blind, Deaf and DeafBlind Accessibility Day. The zoo plans on taking in the feedback from Sunday’s event and then plan on possibly doing more in the future.