This railing on gazebo in Naples has braille describing the view for blind people. More of this please. pic.twitter.com/MQiKwBeT7u [1]
— Rob N Roll (@thegallowboob) August 8, 2021 [2]
In news we need more of, a railing at the top of a castle in Naples, Italy [3], is going viral, and it's not just because it's a medieval fortress. The 14th century Castel Sant'Elmo is located on Vomero Hill, and it features sweeping views of the Tyrrhenian Sea and Mount Vesuvius. Attached to a wall on the castle that overlooks the land, a 92-foot-long railing featuring Braille can be found, and it describes the view to those who are visually impaired [4]. Italian artist Paolo Puddu created the rail as an art installation for the castle in 2015, which he named 'Follow the Shape.' According to Leisure Italy [5], "This young Neapolitan artist [Puddu] created a tactile experience different from the visual one by using the Braille writing system to 'describe' Naples landscape and reveal the unseen to blind people." The railing also has quotes from poets and authors, both of which are written in Italian and English.
There's a long way to go when it comes to creating more opportunities like this for those with disabilities [6], and small steps like this will hopefully spark a change. Being more inclusive for people with any kind of disability [7] is something we as a society need to work on in order to create impactful differences. Whether it be a castle in Italy or a cabin in the countryside, having Braille accessible to those who need it is necessary, not optional.
