Accessible Travel: 12 Florida Attractions for Travelers with Vision Impairments

By Janet K. Keeler 

Florida is a feast for the senses. Warm tropical breezes tickle the skin. The fragrant aromas of plumeria in Southern Florida fill the air while orange and jasmine blossoms are the scents of the northern state. Migrating birds, shore birds and long-legged showy birds like egrets and heron provide the state’s soundtrack with their squawks and love calls. The crashing waves and tropical storms bring their own music.

Florida’s sensual wonders are one way for visitors with vision impairments to enjoy the Sunshine State, but there are other activities and attractions to experience indoors, too. Art exhibits and historical points of interest plus theme parks can be part of the travel itinerary. Add to that more active adventures and the list of what-to-do becomes ever longer.

Florida has much to offer for active travelers with vision challenges ranging from total blindness to partial vision, including paddle boarding, kayaking and groomed or hard-surface trails with tactile signage, surfing on the state’s East Coast, snorkeling in the Florida Keys and scalloping off the west central coast. That summer activity always ends with a delicious meal of sweet bay scallops.

As with any travel for people with physical challenges, what they will do depends on what they want to do and their own abilities. They know themselves better than anyone but they also should know that Florida is accommodating.

This article lists specific attractions and activities all around the state but it is by no means definitive. A call ahead to any attraction or service provider to ask about an accommodation or to inquire about services is smart. All facilities allow trained service dogs, as per the federal American Disabilities Act, but more information may be needed by the traveler. A call before arrival will help procure a tour or make sure the kayaking, paddle boarding or surfing instructor can and is willing to provide individualized instructions.

Travel Help from Artificial Intelligence

There are a number of AI apps that can turn a smartphone into a tour guide or even provide help reading a menu. Since not all people with vision challenges read Braille, audio assistance is helpful even in situations where written labels are accompanied by the raised-dot tactile writing system.

For instance, Seeing AI is a free app described as a “talking camera for the blind.” It works by pointing the smartphone camera at text displayed next to a work of art in a museum, at a restaurant menu or even a scene and it will be read or described audibly. Seeing AI can also be used to decipher barcodes. 

Aira is another useful app that connects users to an agent who provides visual interpretation via a smartphone camera. Aira bills itself as the explorer’s app because it provides assistance for people hiking and doing other outdoor activities, and in Florida there is plenty of that.

12 Florida Attractions for Travelers with Vision Impairment

The following places all have programs or features for vision-impaired visitors. It’s best to call ahead and inquire about scheduled activities, make appointments for tours and get other information specific to your needs.

Loggerhead Marinelife Center, Juno Beach

Loggerhead Marinelife Center provides respite from the sun, surf and sand of nearby Juno Beach in Palm Beach County. Loggerhead is a working sea turtle hospital dedicated to teaching visitors about turtle rehabilitation and ocean conservation. A new outdoor hospital will be unveiled in 2022. There are tactile exhibits plus walkways that are well maintained so that they are easily and safely traversed by all visitors. Blind and low vision guests can be paired with volunteers for a guided tour, and docent tours are also available. A touch exhibit allows visitors to feel the different shell formations of turtle species found in the western Atlantic Ocean. Be warned that there are times during the year when there are no turtles in the hospital. Nesting season is May 1 through Oct. 31. The website stays up to date on the resident status of the hospital.

Therapeutic Recreation Complex, Lake Worth

Need a break from browsing the tony second-hand clothes shops in Palm Beach? Then head north to Lake Worth and check out the Therapeutic Recreation Complex near John Prince Park. Specifically, sign up for a game of goalball, a Paralympics sport designed for blind and low-vision athletes. It’s a team sport with three people on each side and the goal is to throw the ball into the opposing team’s net. Of course, they try to block it, tracking it by the bells inside the ball which looks similar to a basketball. All players wear black-out goggles to level the playing field since some participants may have more vision than others. Anyone can play, even if they don’t live in the area. Check the website or email for the schedule. Participants are required to register in advance.

Gulf Islands National Seashore, Florida Panhandle

Gulf Islands National Seashore stretches about 150 miles along the Gulf of Mexico coast, and is one of the few national parklands that calls two states — in this case, Florida and Mississippi — home. This Gulf Coast treasure offers plenty to do including boating and fishing, plus there are miles of trails that get visitors close to nature but also to history. The Fort Pickens area has 200 campsites plus the old fort where you can hike up the ramparts. The Naval Live Oaks unit of Gulf Islands which spans Santa Rosa Sound to Pensacola Bay includes the accessible Brackenridge Nature Trail. The boardwalk is easy to traverse for visitors using canes or guide dogs. Plus, the signage is tactile, allowing visitors to feel the different foliage shapes found in the area. The trail is accessed from the Gulf Islands main headquarters in Gulf Breeze.

Generator Miami Hostel, Miami Beach

Hip travelers watching their pennies should check out the Generator Miami Hostel in Miami Beach. This is the perfect location from which to enjoy the nightlife of Miami Beach and to access the new 40-block boardwalk that runs behind the hotels on the Atlantic Ocean side of the city. There are plenty of places to stop along the way to get something to eat and drink, including dog friendly joints. The Generator has typical hostel dorm-style accommodations and you can go big (eight people) or smaller (four people). Either way, the price, about $90 to $115 a night, is rock bottom for Miami Beach. For visitors with vision issues, the nightclubs and cool restaurants are close by and the facility itself offers friendly service and advice flows freely. It’s often described as “chill” in online reviews.

Braille Trail Walking Tour, St. Augustine

The oldest city in the United States is full of history, including the 300-year-old Castillo de San Marcos National Monument. Not far from there is Plaza de La Constitution and TOUCH, the city’s free braille trail walking tour. Visitors can go on a self-guided tour of seven sculptures that depict the city’s history including statues of Spanish explorer Ponce De Leon and railroad baron and developer Henry Flagler. Each sculpture is accompanied by interpretive braille signage on a large pedestal. There are also regular guided tours plus audio enhancements that can be accessed from a mobile device.

Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, Jacksonville

The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens runs along the St. Johns River near Jacksonville’s trendy Five Points neighborhood. Think about heading to Five Points for a meal after you check out the museum. The museum has more than 5,000 works of art in its collection from 2100 B.C. up until today. Special exhibitions and events are planned year-round. The museum's Art Beyond Sight program includes special activities for vision-impaired visitors. Touch tours of the museum plus programs in conjunction with the nearby Florida School for the Deaf and Blind are incorporated into the museum’s offering. During touch tours, which should be scheduled two weeks in advance, visitors can handle selected sculptures wearing gloves. The tour includes a guide.

A group of women with vision impairments called Women of Vision meets regularly at the museum to explore the museum and gardens and create their own artwork, which is shown annually.

Theme Parks, Orlando Area

Orlando’s theme parks, especially Disney World and Universal Studios, welcome visitors with accessibility issues and provide many services. For the vision impaired, Disney World has braille menus in all its table-service restaurants. It also has handheld devices that provide audio descriptions of some of the visual elements of the parks plus work with some of the shows.

There are braille guide books and stationary braille maps of the parks plus the Disney Springs entertainment complex. Even though Disney does provide a lot of help for vision impaired guests, blogger Tim Sullivan from All Ears suggests that some pre-trip legwork is smart. He suggests your first stop should be Guest Relations where you can get a Guest Assistance Card, which identifies you as someone with a special need should the issue arise.

Universal Orlando, which includes the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, has large print and braille scripts about safety features on the rides. There are also scripts to accompany some of the live shows. It is clear on the website about which rides that guests using canes will need to collapse them, store them or have them held by an attendant. Those rides include roller coasters and some of the Harry Potter rides.

Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island

Florida has been a part of the U.S. space program for more than half a century and the visitors center at Kennedy Space Center is the place to experience a shuttle launch, check out  the impressive garden of rockets and to learn about moon exploration. The complex is large but highly walkable thanks to wide, level paths. The handheld KSC Smart Guide is a multimedia aid offered in eight languages and provides information about the center’s features with audio, video and detailed maps. A day-of orientation is offered for visitors who are blind or have low-vision. There is no reservation required for the orientation and it comes with the digital smart guide. An attendant at the information desk in the visitor complex at the entry can help set up the orientation.

Garden of the Five Senses, North Port

Looking for a relaxing spot to destress from a fast-paced vacation? The Garden of the Five Senses in North Port, a city in southeastern Sarasota County, is just the place. The 16-acre city park features paved walkways that wind through the gardens, around a fully-accessible playground and a waterfall whose soothing sounds contribute to the sensory serenity. The flora is mostly native and native-adapted plants so the Garden of the Five Senses is a good place to learn about the growing seasons in Florida, which are different from most of the United States. A butterfly garden attracts Monarch and Queen species. There are lots of benches plus covered picnic areas perfecting for spreading out a packed lunch. There are many special events planned during the year that let visitors enjoy the park and it’s best to call ahead for schedules.

J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island

Sanibel Island is a shelling paradise on the west coast of Florida. There is wildlife all around and a much-visited lighthouse on the tip of the barrier island near Fort Myers. The J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge is home to more than 245 species of birds and an open-air tram takes visitors along the four-mile Wildlife Drive. If you think that would be a quick trip, keep in mind the speed limit is 15 mph and there are lots of places to pull over. Wildlife Drive can be experienced on foot or bike, and there are several no-car trails. It is a colorful place that has been made even more colorful now that a special viewing scope has been installed for color blind visitors on the two-story observation platform. Stop at the visitors center near the parking lot for more details and to get a map. There is an entry fee to the refuge and Wildlife Drive is closed every Friday for maintenance.

Sensory Mural, Lighthouse of Broward, Fort Lauderdale

Murals have popped up all over Florida in recent years but there is one that’s making a difference on the Lighthouse of Broward building in Fort Lauderdale. An outsized mockingbird — the state bird — is feasting on Florida citrus and surrounded by the flora of South Florida in brilliant colors. Everyone is welcome to touch the art and running hands across the mural reveals the raised fruit rinds and bird feathers. The mockingbird's lyrical call is projected from box censors which also send out orange grove and pine tree scents. The Lighthouse website also lists the audible pedestrian crossing signals in Broward County by city.

Kayaking Adventures, Tampa Bay Area

If your itinerary takes you to the Tampa Bay area, check out the guided kayaking trips by Wayne Adventures in Sarasota and Manatee counties. Wayne Douchkoff works with the Lighthouse for the Blind & Low-Vision of Tampa to train volunteers to work with young people and also has regular kayaking adventures for teens. The goal of the program is to teach independence. Other excursions are open to the public and he welcomes novice and experienced kayakers with vision impairments. Often, he said, newbies are in tandem kayaks, paired with someone more experienced and sighted. His regular excursions include Myakka River, Braden River Rookery and Upper Gamble Creek and Manatee River, among others. Not planning on being in the Tampa Bay area but still want to kayak? Contact Douchkoff who has colleagues all over the state and will help arrange an adventure. Prices include equipment rental.