A year ago, Nqabohlanga Winston Fani (37), during a live interview on radio, explained that his dream was to become the first visually impaired tour guide in South Africa.
And as the saying goes, from his mouth to God’s ears.
On Tuesday 11 July, Fani led his first group on a street art tour through Salt River as a qualified tour guide.
Fani’s tours through the suburb are a flagship project to create a more inclusive tourism sector.
Cape Town Tourism’s ‘Limitless Cape Town’ a universal access movement aims to ensure all people, regardless of ability have equal opportunity and access to Cape Town’s tourism landscape.
Fani says after hearing his story on radio, Cape Town Tourism sponsored his tuition to obtain his tourism qualification.
“I am so grateful for the opportunity. It is a great achievement. At first, I did it because I thought I have to provide for my family. After I finished my course, I realised this is a big deal. I was going to be the first blind tour guide in Africa. It is a big accomplishment.”
He says leading his first tour group was a dream come true.
Fani uses a technique of counting steps and lampposts to arrive at the appropriate artwork, combining this with his descriptions of the works and their creators to inspire guests.
The tours will be accessible to visually impaired guests because the murals feature braille touchpoints that describe each piece and a QR that links to an audio recording of Winston describing the works. He complements the tour with a personal perspective on life as a visually impaired person, demonstrating how features in the environment, such as tactile paving, can be used by visually impaired individuals.
The father of one says when he got retrenched in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic he was struggling to provide for his family.
Both Fani and his wife are visually blind and manage with the assistance of a guide dog.
“There should be more opportunities for differently abled people. I feel like I’ve laid a platform for others to go out there and do whatever they put their mind to.
Enver Duminy, Chief Executive Officer of Cape Town Tourism, says the movement reflects Cape Town Tourism’s commitment to providing accessible and welcoming experiences and inspiring people to explore new horizons, break barriers, and create unforgettable memories.
“We are here to ignite an evolution of universal access. Leading up to Mandela Day serves as a reminder of Madiba’s legacy of committed peace, social justice, and most importantly, equality by shattering barriers, unveiling opportunities, and empowering every visitor.
“That’s why our goal with this movement is to drive limitless possibilities for everyone, no matter their abilities, transforming Cape Town into an accessible destination for all.”
James Vos, Mayco member for economic growth, says: “We are showing that we care and cooperate to make our city a destination that puts the needs of people first to ensure that our products and places are accessible when it comes to functionality and features.”
Cape Town Tourism installed braille touchpoints on street art murals in Salt River and Cape Town’s iconic yellow frames at tourist attractions across the city, as the first phase of the project.
The Destination Marketing and Management Organisation (DMO) has also incorporated QR codes that lead to audio content, describing the views and art murals by voice, so all visitors can enjoy the experience.
- V&A Waterfront
- Signal Hill
- Blouberg – Eden on the Bay
- District Six
- Silo District
Wahida Parker, chair of the Cape Town Tourism Board and the MD of Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, says: “Our new yellow frame braillie touch-points ensure visually impaired guests enjoy every aspect of the Mother City experience. They capture every detail of the scenery through that specific frame, and the awe-inspiring sight of the magnificent flat-topped Table Mountain.”
Cape Town Tourism plans to develop social media content with audio options, create maps profiling accessible routes, conduct sensitivity and awareness training workshops, and introduce audio maps of accessible Cape Town routes.
Duminy says they are looking at developing more enhanced audio guides via QR codes for menus in restaurants, artwork in hotels and guesthouses.
“We’re also committed to supporting children with disabilities as our future leaders in tourism activities and programmes, and we challenge all DMOs and industry associations in Africa to also commit to promoting universal access.”
Fani says parents should allow their children who are differently abled to pursue their dreams.
“It all starts with parents. Having a disabled child is not easy, but with my experience my parents didn’t take this lightly. They always allowed me to explore the world. They pushed me out of my shell.
“Parents should not keep their children behind closed doors, let them explore the world. Let them be accepted by society. Society will not accept you if you don’t accept yourself.”
Shama Nathoo, Founder of Universal Accessibility Hub, who has been advocating for the inclusion of tourism experiences since 2017 says this is a massive win for those who are visually impaired to feel included
The Universal Accessibility Hub is a non-profit company that aims to harness the power of joint initiatives with key stakeholders for the inclusion of persons with disability as valued and recognized citizens.
Nathoo says: “We would now like to see the broader implementation of tourism experiences coming on board and for more information to become available for visitors and locals to experience Cape Town Tourism’s campaign.”
Fani says he regards himself as “differently abled” and not “disabled”.
He encourages people to not allow challenges to withhold them from achieving big things.
“I can do everything but in a different way. They mustn’t sit back and wait for government to give them a disability grant. They must go and explore the world and have that “never say die” attitude. I am trying to build on this attitude, I always bully myself in whatever I put my mind to. And lastly education is the key,” concludes Fani.
