The Unspoken Garden

The Unspoken Garden is a planned 2-acre public park in a midwestern city, intended as a sanctuary for the DeafBlind community and a model for multi-sensory design. Unlike typical ‘sensory gardens’ which often cater to autism or visual impairments alone, this park is co-designed with DeafBlind individuals and centers on Pro-Tactile principles. Paths are textured with multiple materials (smooth river stone, ridged concrete, soft bark) that convey directional cues and points of interest. Sculptures vibrate at different frequencies to indicate nearby features—a humming bench that buzzes when someone sits, a tactile map that changes temperature to show the way. Plant beds are arranged by scent and leaf texture, with braille labels at waist height. The entire park is laid out in a grid of ‘zones’ (Arrival, Water, Meadow, Forest, Gathering) each with distinct vibration signatures transmitted through the ground via low-frequency transducers. Everything is designed to be navigated without vision or hearing, relying on haptic feedback and the body’s natural sense of orientation. The plan includes a small pavilion for tactile storytelling sessions and a ‘quiet room’ with deep pressure cushions and white noise. The project was initiated by a local DeafBlind advocacy group in 2020, but stalled due to funding shortfalls and the pandemic.

Most public parks exclude the DeafBlind community because they are designed around visual and auditory cues. Standard accessibility features like audio beacons or braille signs assume some vision or hearing remains. DeafBlind individuals often avoid parks altogether due to disorientation and lack of meaningful engagement. This park addresses the fundamental need for a space where they can explore independently, socialize through touch, and experience nature without relying on sight or sound.

• Create a fully navigable environment using only haptic and tactile cues.
• Install at least 10 vibration-emitting sculptures and 5 scent gardens with interpretive tactile elements.
• Achieve 100% of design input from DeafBlind community members through iterative co-design workshops.
• Ensure the park is free and open to the public 24/7, with a focus on DeafBlind priority hours.
• Develop a mobile app that provides localized haptic feedback for those with some residual hearing, but not required.
• Host monthly tactile storytelling events and Pro-Tactile language classes in the pavilion.

• Not a theme park or a therapy garden – it's a community space for everyday recreation.
• Not a technology lab – while it uses haptics, the focus is on low-maintenance, durable installations.
• Not a retrofit of an existing park – it's built from scratch on a vacant lot.
• Not a museum piece – all elements are meant to be touched and interacted with continuously.
• Not an exclusive space – it welcomes all, but its design prioritizes DeafBlind experience.

Textured paving materials (brick, cobblestone, rubberized surfaces), low-frequency vibration transducers (buried under pathways), scent dispensers integrated into planters, piezoelectric sensors under sculptural elements, braille signage on stainless steel plates, wood and metal for sculptures, durable thermoplastics, LED lighting (optional for low-vision visitors), and an open-source haptic controller board (Arduino-based) for the vibrating elements.

The park is laid out as a series of concentric zones radiating from the central Gathering circle. Each zone has a distinct ground texture: Arrival uses ribbed rubber tiles, Water smooth pebbles, Meadow soft artificial turf, Forest bark mulch, and Gathering polished granite. Transducers are buried 6 inches deep along a grid every 10 feet, emitting low-frequency vibrations that vary per zone. Upon entering, visitors can feel a gentle pulse from the Arrival zone that guides them to a tactile map (a 3D model of the park with braille and texture labels). Sculptures are placed at intersections; each has a unique vibration pattern (e.g., rapid pulse for water feature, slow wave for bench). The pavilion is a geodesic dome with a vibrating floor and walls lined with textured panels that depict stories in tactile symbols. The quiet room is a detached pod with thick insulation and a deep-pressure hammock. Water features (small fountain, birdbath) produce ripple vibrations that can be felt through the ground. All materials are eco-friendly and weather-resistant.

• High initial cost for ground transducers and custom sculptures; may exceed budget.
• Maintenance complexity—transducers may break or need recalibration; community must be trained.
• Vandalism or theft of interactive elements could render them inoperative.
• Potential conflict with hearing neighbors who may find low-frequency hum annoying.
• Regulatory hurdles: building codes for public parks may not accommodate underground electronics.

• Should the vibration patterns be standardized nationally to aid navigation for traveling DeafBlind individuals?
• How do we balance durability with the need for replaceable parts?
• Will the scent dispensers need refilling too often, or can we use natural scent plants instead?
• Should there be a membership system to reserve the quiet room, or keep it open?
• What is the optimal frequency range for tactile perception across different ages and levels of sensitivity?

The project was fully designed and site-selected by 2022, with $2M needed for construction. A city grant fell through, and the advocacy group lost momentum as key members moved away during the pandemic. The plan remains on a shelf, waiting for a new champion or alternative funding.

All design choices were validated through 15 co-design sessions with DeafBlind participants. A prototype vibration bench was tested at a local community center and received overwhelmingly positive feedback. The group published a design guide that can be reused by other cities.