A new technology installation at Falls of the Ohio State Park's Interpretive Center allows individuals with hearing, visual, or sensory needs to have equal access to the center's natural, cultural, and historical resources.
Park visitors who can benefit from the free Access 4 All app can download it on their mobile devices.
The Interpretive Center features 3,000 square feet of immersive exhibits that tell the story of 390-million-year-old fossil beds, the receding glaciers that carved the landscape along the Ohio River, and how conservation can preserve the area.
The app project was made possible through the generosity of the American Water Charitable Foundation's Water and Environment grant program and support from the Indiana Parks Alliance. The grants allowed the Falls of the Ohio Foundation to partner with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, the museum technology firm Communication Electronics Design (CED), and A4A Designs.
"The mission of Indiana State Parks is to conserve, manage and interpret our resources while creating memorable experiences for everyone," said Ginger Murphy, Indiana State Parks deputy director for stewardship. "The work that The Falls of the Ohio Foundation has done on this tool provides improved accessibility to the center's exhibits and really takes that term 'everyone' to heart.
"This is the first of its kind in any of our nature/interpretive centers. We value our partnership with The Falls of the Ohio Foundation and thank them for their leadership on this app!"
Those interested in testing and offering suggestions to improve the app are invited to the park on March 11 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. or March 12 from 1 to 4 p.m. Participants will receive free admission to the Interpretive Center on those days through the Falls of the Ohio Foundation.
For more information, see https://www.a4amuseums.com/ or https://www.fallsoftheohio.org/.
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