Exploring Senses, Building Connections: Inside Helen Keller Services Family Day
Step into a world of sensory exploration at Helen Keller Services' Family Day, where traditional perceptions were challenged and new connections formed.
On Saturday, March 1, 2025, Helen Keller Services hosted our inaugural Family Day at the Sands Point Preserve, a sensory awareness event bringing together families from across the community for an afternoon of discovery, connection, and fun. The event provided a unique opportunity for visitors to explore the world through different senses while gaining insights into how individuals who are blind, DeafBlind, or have low vision navigate and experience their surroundings.
A Journey Through the Senses
Organized by a dedicated team of staff, HKNC participants, and volunteers, the event transformed the Castle Gould Great Hall into an interactive sensory playground for community education and awareness. The carefully curated experience went beyond mere demonstration, creating meaningful opportunities for interaction, learning, and understanding. By designing an environment that challenged traditional perceptions, we opened a window into the diverse ways individuals navigate and engage with the world around them showcasing how Helen Keller Services’ programs support greater independence and connection for the individuals we serve.
Braille Exploration:
DeafBlind participants and staff helped children create personalized braille nameplates, introducing them to this vital communication tool. Our participant Keanu skillfully brailled each child’s name onto index cards, creating treasured keepsakes while demonstrating the practical application of braille literacy.
Haptics Drum Circle:
Led by our talented Sonia, the drum circle demonstrated communication through touch. Participants experienced haptics firsthand as they felt rhythmic vibrations travel through the drums into their hands and learned to convey patterns by touch—similar to how DeafBlind individuals might experience music and communicate. This immersive activity showed how touch-based communication creates connection beyond sight and sound, captivating parents and children alike.
Creative Crafting
Under the guidance of volunteers, members of our Youth Club and community partners, visitors engaged in hands-on creative activities that celebrated different ways of experiencing art. Participants crafted textured macramé keychains, feeling how different knot patterns create unique tactile compositions that can be appreciated through touch alone. At the painting station, children and adults decorated flower pots for Plant a Row of Port Washington, using spring designs pre-outlined by our art therapist Antonia, who incorporated tactile elements into the artwork. These creative experiences highlighted how art can be both a visual and tactile medium, accessible to everyone regardless of sensory abilities.
Smell: Exploring Fragrance Without Sight
Our vibrant blindfolded smelling activity invited participants to identify various scents without the aid of sight, creating moments of surprise and delight. This immersive experience encouraged attendees to rely on their sense of smell, revealing the intricate details and memories that different fragrances can evoke. It was a wonderful way to highlight the importance of scent in our daily lives and how it can connect us to the world in unexpected ways.
ASL Storytelling
Led by our participant Melissa, the ASL storytelling station captivated attendees as she read the brailled pages aloud while an interpreter signed in American Sign Language. The kids were mesmerized as the interpreter conveyed rich narrative elements through expressive signing. Many families left with a newfound appreciation for this dynamic form of communication, eager to learn simple signs themselves.
Musical Experiences: Sound and Rhythm for Everyone
Beautiful live music from our talented participant Keith filled the hall with melodies that created a welcoming atmosphere throughout the event. Our neighbors from Bach to Rock enhanced the experience with their own performances and staffed an engaging table where children could explore various musical instruments. This combination of live music and hands-on musical activities provided enjoyable entertainment while demonstrating how music can be experienced through different senses.
Technology: Showcasing Devices that Support Greater Independence
The assistive technology station emerged as one of the event’s most engaging highlights. Visitors explored cutting-edge assistive technologies that create pathways to independence, including interactive braille displays that transform digital information into tactile text, innovative devices like bed shakers and liquid level indicators that demonstrate practical accessibility solutions, and the latest technological innovations designed to help individuals with vision loss navigate our increasingly digital world. By showcasing these transformative technologies, the station provided a powerful glimpse into how adaptive tools can empower individuals to interact with their environment more effectively and independently.
Building Community Through Shared Experience
Family Day was a wonderful opportunity to cultivate genuine understanding and meaningful connections. By exploring alternative sensory pathways and different communication methods, participants gained valuable insights into the experiences of individuals supported by Helen Keller Services. This hands-on approach allowed families to engage directly with the tools and techniques that make the world more accessible, deepening their appreciation for the diverse ways people experience their surroundings.
This inaugural Family Day exemplified our commitment to building bridges between communities and raising awareness about sensory experiences. The event highlighted core values that drive our mission: fostering understanding, encouraging advocacy, and creating opportunities for greater accessibility. The overwhelmingly positive response reinforced the power of experiential learning to change perceptions. By experiencing different sensory perspectives, participants gained practical insights into how thoughtful adaptations and inclusive practices can make everyday environments more accessible for all.
Looking Forward
Family Day highlighted the impact of immersive experiences in fostering understanding and connection. Building on that momentum, we’re excited to continue this journey with our next event: Dining in the Dark on May 17 at the Sands Point Preserve. This exclusive benefit will transform dining into a multi-sensory culinary celebration, featuring a farm-to-table experience crafted by master chefs.
For more information about Dining in the Dark or to reserve your place, please contact HKSEvents@helenkeller.org.
Helen Keller Services extends heartfelt gratitude to all the staff, participants, volunteers, and community partners who made this event possible, with special thanks to the Sands Point Preserve Conservancy for providing the perfect venue for our community gathering.
