People who are blind or visually impaired have a difficult time getting around, not to mention finding buildings, businesses or street crossings that meet their accessibility specifications. They also may have a difficult time accessing books, newspapers, magazines, maps, signage, restaurant menus, and other materials that cater to their vision needs. My project will address the combination of both of those necessities while utilizing the resources that are made available to me as an intern at Clovernook Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Clovernook Center has been a braille printing powerhouse for over 100 years and distributes braille materials all over the world. From printing books and magazines commissioned by the National Library Service to producing menus of local restaurants such as La Rosa’s and Montgomery Inn, Clovernook Center and its employees work hard to circulate braille and large print materials both locally and across the globe.

Dining with Dots will collect menus from ten of the most popular restaurants throughout the Greater Cincinnati area and print them in braille to be shared and used when blind and visually impaired patrons dine at their establishments. There are over 30,000 people in the Greater Cincinnati area who are blind or who have a visual impairment, and by providing menus to these great local restaurants, we will open up doors to those who have previously been unable to frequent these eateries. The purpose of this project is twofold: first, to spread awareness across Greater Cincinnati of the various accessibility needs that must be met for our blind or visually impaired neighbors. Second, to foster a partnership between local restaurants and Clovernook Center, as well as with Awesome Foundation, to share knowledge and mindfulness of disability awareness across the Greater Cincinnati region.