Warsaw University: the Office for Persons with Disabilities
The latest product of our office’s adaptation department is a model of the Polish Tatra Mountains made using 3D printing technology. The model, measuring 125 cm x 75 cm, presents the area of the Tatra Mountains on a scale of about 1 : 20 thousand (1 cm is about 200 m). The model presents an area with a width from Zakopane and the border of the Tatra National Park to the Rysy peak and the southern border of Poland (about 15 km), and with a length from the Grześ peak to Lysa Polana (about 25 km). The plan is oriented in the “south” direction, allowing you to get to know the layout of the peaks and trails looking from the entrance to the valleys. The plan marks roads, the Tatra National Park border, the Polish border, the cable car to Kasprowy Wierch, and the 10 most popular trails with information on their color and the names of the valleys through which they run. In addition, 17 of the highest peaks, 5 mountain lakes and 8 hostels are marked. All the markings are both tactile and in color, and the information and captions are given in Braille and normal print. This makes it possible for blind and sighted people to view the model simultaneously and for them to interact with each other. The variation of the terrain has been enhanced with colors corresponding roughly to the floors of mountain vegetation in the Tatra Mountains (light beige color below 1000 m, light green about 1000-1300 m, dark green about 1300-1800 m, gray above 1800 m). Those aided by their eyesight can, among other things, observe the ranges formed by mountain ridges - for example, the Polish border in the Tatra Mountains, marked by touch, runs along the main ridge of the so-called Tatra Mountains. The model, made using 3D printing technology, is made up of 24 parts, connected by catches and glued together permanently. The model uses a series of pins made of materials with different elasticity and different tactile sensations. The bottom row of the model is occupied by a legend of markings (in Braille and normal print), a map scale and a pattern of directions. The whole thing was secured with several layers of resins and varnishes to protect the model from the weather. The model was made for the House of Creative Work and Recreation “Wrzos” in Kościelisko, which is located opposite the entrance to the Kościeliska Valley. The “Wrzos” House is adapted to the needs of people with disabilities by offering accommodation with breakfasts and equipment to facilitate movement along the valley trails (tandem bicycles, two-person electric scooter, etc.). People with disabilities can take advantage of additional discounts. The model will be displayed in free access from mid-November this year, on a table with a canopy specially prepared for it.
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