Nedbank Backed Pilot Sets National Benchmark For Inclusive Access To Natural Spaces

The pilot initiative is sponsored by Nedbank, and implemented in collaboration with Blind SA, the National Council of and for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD), and the City of Cape Town, with support from the Ford Wildlife Foundation.

Access and dignity

While South Africa’s beaches and nature reserves are public spaces, environmental interpretation has historically remained inaccessible to people with visual impairments.

“Today is not just about signage. It is about access. It is about dignity," said Cindy-Lee Cloete, the CEO of Wessa.

“And it is about who gets to experience South Africa’s magnificent natural heritage – and how. This is a national first, and an important one. ”

“Our beaches and nature reserves may be public spaces, but for blind and partially sighted people, meaningful engagement with these environments has largely remained out of reach,” said Cloete.

The initiative is designed to enable blind and partially sighted visitors to engage independently and meaningfully with coastal ecosystems.

The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Willie Aucamp, said that the initiative is a significant step forward in sharing South Africa’s natural heritage inclusively.

"This revitalisation is about more than just fresh paint or new timber – it is about inclusivity. We are moving from a philosophy of ‘look and read’ to one of ‘touch, listen, feel and experience,” said Aucamp in his keynote address.

Lived-experience insight

The project's accessibility partners, Blind SA and NCPD, were instrumental in ensuring the signage's authenticity and technical accuracy.

The organisations helped in developing the signage’s Braille-specific design, descriptive clarity and outdoor durability.

They contributed lived-experience insight and technical guidance to ensure the signage is genuinely usable and meaningful.

Abraham Allies from Blind SA spoke about what this project means for visually impaired persons.

“For a visually impaired visitor, this means arriving at a coastal site and not having to rely entirely on another person to explain what the visual element is all about.

“It means being able to read with your own hands about the environment, the wildlife, the history and the significance of this place.

“It means being acknowledged as a person who belongs here.

“Looking ahead, we are excited about the possibilities for future collaboration.

“This launch should not be the end, but the beginning,” said Allies.

Wessa says its goal is to establish a scalable model for inclusive environmental education infrastructure across South Africa’s coastline.