Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Springside Park’s fence was yarn bombed on Friday morning to officially kick off Deafblind Awareness Month.
George Robins and CNIB Deafblind Community Services’ Shari Maracle were behind the yarn bombing, which involves affixing knitted, crocheted or loomed square shaped yarn designs to the metal fence that lines the Napanee River falls. The project is part of a global movement meant to raise awareness of deafblindness. Communities around the world will host similar displays, attaching pieces of yarn to public spaces.
“It just makes people aware and that’s what it’s all about,” said Robins, who has been using CNIB services since 2009.
Robins has been registered blind since he was 21 and began to lose his hearing more recently within the last decade to become deafblind. Despite his challenges, he and his late wife Sylvia ran the Napanee Motel for 18 years before retiring.
Having deafblind services close to home is a huge benefit for Robins.
“(It allows me to be) able to do things like shopping, eating out, just generally living,” he said.
He says he was taking part in the yarn bomb art project to help start a conversation.
The yarn bomb display will remain at the falls throughout the month.
“I would love to see people knit their own and add to the display,” said Maracle. “You just need a zip tag (to tie it to the fence) and it would be exciting if one day we came down here and we saw it going the whole way up the fence.”
Earlier this month the Town of Greater Napanee officially declared June to be Deafblind Awareness Month throughout the town.