The Lighthouse for the Blind boasts a unique garden treasure. Envisioned and financed by local businesswoman and philanthropist Ethel Dupar, this is the only garden devoted year round to fragrant herbs, blossoms, and other plants.
A wheelchair-accessible path leads to a fragrant garden designed expressly for the enjoyment of people who are blind, Deaf-Blind, or who have other disabilities.
Machine Shop Production Worker Quincy Daniels reads braille on garden bed railing while strolling through the garden.
Braille labels help blind and Deaf-Blind visitors to identify garden plants.
Fragrant blossoms are a welcome sign of spring at the Lighthouse.
Customer Service Representative Deng Kong reaches to feel the texture of spring blossoms.
The garden includes a sculptured wooden fountain, creating a peaceful sound for blind visitors to enjoy.
Quincy Daniels takes a break by the garden fountain.
Computer Training Program Coordinator Nancy Lopez-Swaney enjoys the garden’s many textures and fragrances. The raised beds create a pocket of air for scents to linger.
Business Analyst Don Swaney and his guide dog Camber enjoy the delicious scents of fragrant herbs.
Don and Nancy are two of the many Lighthouse employees who enjoy taking breaks in the garden during the spring and summer.
A special plaque memorializes Ethel L. Dupar’s gift to the blind and Deaf-Blind communities. The garden is maintained and cultivated today thanks to the generosity of the Dupar Foundation.