The City of Goshen is partnering with ADEC, Inc. to propose the Goshen Sensory Trail Project to help connect individuals with disabilities to the health benefits and wonder of nature.
The Community Connections for People with Disabilities (CCPWD) grant is offered through the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA), in partnership with the Indiana Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services (DDRS). The CCPWD grant opportunity is a Community Development Block Grant made available due to supplemental CDBG Coronavirus funds authorized under the CARES Act. OCRA has made $4.9 million in CDBG-CV funds available.
$200,000 is being requested. 100% of the funding for this project goes to serve adult persons with disabilities. The City and ADEC Inc. propose developing a GPS-enabled app accessed by a phone or tablet to connect users to nature in a fully immersible sensory trail experience. The app will locate and identify unique natural features, pinpoint interactive spaces where individuals can participate in the sensory experience, and provide opportunities where users can select to listen to music, poetry, or historical information.
The project also proposes to add online experiences including stationary live nature cameras to provide individuals who cannot participate on the trail with accessibility to the same mental health benefits of the sights and sounds of nature from their home.
The project is designed to benefit adult individuals with disabilities. No Displacement. The funding will be matched by approximately $10,000 in local in-kind support. ADEC, Inc. will provide local technical support for the project.
A virtual public meeting will be held on January 4, 10:00 am utilizing Zoom. Link to the meeting can be found on the City of Goshen calendar at https://goshenindiana.org/calendar. You can request special accommodations by calling 574-599-8621. Contact TheresaSailor@goshencity.com for more information.