Owińska Spatial Orientation Park

The Park of Spatial Orientation, also known as the Garden of Senses, is a unique facility covering an area of 2.5 hectares, located in the historic post-Cistercian park on the grounds of the Special Educational and Care Center for Blind Children in Owińska, within the Czerwonak municipality of the Poznań County. Created in 2007 by architect Maciej Jakubowski and landscape architect Renata Gilmore, the park was designed to help blind and visually impaired students become familiar with urban environments. The facility was opened on September 3, 2012, and its creation was partially funded by European Union resources, with support from the European Regional Development Fund. The park features a variety of educational devices, such as architectural models, swings, balance beams, and obstacle courses that simulate urban life situations. Children learn navigation skills, how to navigate curbs, and how to distinguish between different types of surfaces. A key element of the park is the so-called "sound library," which collects over a thousand recordings of urban sounds, enabling students to familiarize themselves with the acoustic aspects of urban spaces in a typhloacoustic laboratory. The park also includes a "garden of sensory experiences," which engages all the senses and integrates blind students with sighted individuals. The goal of this garden is to foster an understanding of how people with visual impairments function, thereby helping to eliminate mental barriers. The park gained recognition by winning an award in the "Poland Beautifies – 7 Wonders of European Funds" competition in the "Child-Friendly Place" category in 2013. Its activities are not only educational but also cultural, as it attracts attention from various communities, including politicians and social initiatives, such as election candidate presentations. The Park of Spatial Orientation is an example of a modern approach to social integration and education in the context of disability.