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Braille Rail unveiled at The Lookout Cafe in Victoria Falls today
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Braille Rail unveiled at The Lookout Cafe in Victoria Falls today

11 September, 2021
vic falls

n the spirit of "Tourism for Inclusive Growth", and to continually look at making the destination more accessible for all, Victoria Falls has today unveiled its first Braille Rail at The Lookout Cafe, along with Braille menu's. At the unveiling event held at The Lookout Cafe, the Mayor Of Victoria Falls, Somvelo Dlamini said, "It is ground breaking that this monument will allow for visually impaired members of our society to enjoy the facilities here, and to feel accommodated in Victoria Falls. I would like to thank the stakeholders and those involved in the initiative for showing resilience throughout the pandemic and for continuing to showcase excellence."

Spear-headed by Enock Mawema of Mobi Tech Smith (MTS), and working in collaboration with Wild Horizons, Love For Africa (Blessing Munyenyiwa) and Jairos Jiri, the innovative inclusion of Braille rails and braille menu's is just the beginning of a drive to ensure Zimbabwe's tourism landscape becomes more inclusive and accessible for visually impaired travellers. "It is an emotional day for me seeing this dream come to reality and to be part of a powerful initiative to improve our destination, whilst empowering those with disabilities to be able to enjoy these incredible sites which form part of our heritage. This is just the beginning and we are excited to expand on the introduction of Braille rails at different sites across the country as Zimbabwe showcases their commitment to the ethos of Tourism for inclusive growth," says Enock Mawema.

The railing, etched with braille in English, describes the beautiful view to the visually impaired, whilst giving background to the history of the Victoria Falls Bridge, and providing a description of The Lookout Cafe and the highwire activities on offer.

The introduction of the Braille railing at a well known and frequented tourism site is one of the first in Africa and is reflective of the innovative efforts being made by Zimbabwe to uplift the destination, building back better, in the country's continued recovery efforts.

Primarily self-funded, Enock Mawema is looking to work with like-minded organisations and has plans to set-up a Trust to develop additional Braille rails at historical sites and important landmarks across the country. Working with the Jairos Jiri Association for the translations to Braille, Enock hopes to bring awareness to the important work they are doing. The Jairos Jiri Association has evolved into a unique humanitarian and developmental agency which has continued to function as a great catalyst in the transformation of lives of people with disabilities in Zimbabwe.

If you would like to support additional Braille rail installations, kindly contact Enock on Enock.mawema@gmail.com

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