Cookbook for the blind and visually impaired
There are few things that are surprising in the literary world from your own perspective. cookbook design. They can be books with more or less colors, with creative images or drawings, assembled with different materials or even round or multiple shapes.
Sometimes we forget that we are not all the same. That, although we have a book with an impeccable design, an almost perfect cover and some delicate pages, not everyone will be able to read it so easily.
I suppose that literary printers do not want to risk much either, nor do I believe that "different" books have many followers in the buying and selling market. Low sales! Bad business, as some economist would say.
"Some books are tested, others eaten, very few chewed and digested." By Sir Francis Bacon.
But still, from time to time a star appears that shines in the literary world, and, this time, it is overflowing with passion in the field of cooking and it is a book for everyone.
A sensory book for blind people
The brand of kitchen utensils Maggi with the Dorina Nowill Foundation for the blind, from Brazil. They have recently presented the first cookbook for the blind and visually impaired. They call it Cooking Blindly (So so… "Cooking blind")
A guide designed to promote autonomy and well-being through cooking which, as you will discover, is quite original and very well thought out.
The Cooking Blindly book is a 130 page sensory guide which also incorporates different adapted utensils that aims to stimulate senses at their best.
«The kitchen is a democratic space. And with this guide we have an important inclusion tool for people with visual disabilities »… According to Francisco Henrique, president of the Foundation.
The kitchen is a democratic space. And with this guide we have an important inclusion tool for people with visual disabilities.
As we have commented, the book focuses on exploring the experience that passes through the senses and is explored …
The sense of smell
Recognize ingredients through smell. The book contains 37 herb and spice aromas. Most used in traditional Brazilian cuisine, and different cheeses for recognition and identification by the corresponding smell.
The touch
Book with braille text and figures in high relief. It raises 15 plates with suggestions to make them with a high relief; three maps of animal proteins, with different densities for each type of cut; 23 kitchen utensils, exemplified with different textures; in addition to all written and reading content in braille.
In the world of cooks, the way we move or work in a kitchen is fundamental, and for that we created an extensive article on kitchen layouts and what characteristics we should consider and this other on modern kitchen design.
Audio
Transcription of each page and immersion with audio. 64 QR codes appear (For reading with mobiles), with an audio transcription of the 130 pages of the guide.
In addition to being accessible content for those who do not read braille, it is also an immersive experience that explores, apart from text, the sounds of the kitchen.
The vision
The book is presented with adapted design and large print. Letters with enlarged fonts, in braille and optimized contrasts, to facilitate reading in the face of different types of visual impairments, such as low vision, blur or vision.
The palate
The book explores popular and tasty recipes. 15 recipes of Brazilian cuisine, from the easiest to the most complex. With culinary technical support from the Nestlé Recipes team, different dishes were selected for various meals: salads, pasta, meat, desserts, as well as soup and cake.
In a world of the palate there are many good ideas, and we verified it with the project of this bottle of wine with a book, a genius!
With adapted kitchen utensils
Although it seems crazy. The book also has a set of adapted utensils - basic tools for every kitchen - that are incorporated in its final part, with a kind of attached box.
- A small scale. A precision balance is essential for many recipes, but the display is the only way to access your information. In this case, the precision scale is audible, announcing the weight when it stabilizes.
- A thermometer. One of the main functions of the kitchen thermometer is to check the point of the meat, but all thermometers work visually. It is now in a sound version to make it more accessible.
- Measure bowls. Especially in pastry, measurements are very important for recipes. Three measuring glasses are incorporated, adapted to facilitate the measurement of small and large quantities of ingredients.
- A timer. Most of the timers on the market work visually, both digital and classic. An adapted and audible timer is provided to make it more inclusive.
- A finger guard. A utensil that works in two ways: the first is a finger guard in the kitchen, which helps when using knives and cutting food. The second is a spatula, which helps when picking up what has been cut and taking it to the pan, avoiding waste.
In addition to the textual content and the transcription of the audio images, the sound project of the guide provides sounds from the kitchen to create a sensory immersion for blind people.
But this cookbook for the blind it's purchasable? Well, at the moment and unfortunately, it seems that not. The guide can be consulted at the headquarters of the Dorina Nowill Foundation and see all the characteristics of this magnificent project from the official website at Cozinhaascegas.com.
And in case you didn't know, there is a blind urban architect who is showing that cities can be improved if we see them from another perspective.
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