Sense of place

Vivienne Crow enjoys a classic summer walk in the Peak District with Amar Latif, the blind adventurer and president of the 4 Ramblers, who is set on making the world more accessible to all

- Vivienne Crow

Imagine this: the sound of wind rushing across open moorland, the smell of wildflowers on the spring air, the feel of soft turf underfoot. Sounds good, doesn't it? And what does this wonderful landscape look like? Fuzzy. Like the static on an old television. Or at least that's how Amar Latif, known as the blind adventurer, describes it to me when we meet for a walk in the Peak District.

I'm Amar's guide today, describing what I'm seeing and talking him through the obstacles that sighted and able-bodied people negotiate without thinking-stiles, rocky ground, lowhanging branches. "And tell me if there's any poo!" he adds, laughing. We maintain physical contact constantly, lightly brushing arms as we walk side by side on wide, well-graded paths or with Amar walking behind and holding on to a strap on my daysack on rougher trails.

Amar is president of the Ramblers and is keen to use his time in the role to help the walking charity break down barriers so everyone can enjoy our green spaces. "A lot of people are missing out on the incredible feeling you get from being out in the countryside," he explains as we set out from Hathersage. In a recent survey conducted by YouGov for the Ramblers, 25% of respondents said barriers such as steps, stiles and gates stopped them using footpaths. That figure rose to 56% of people with physical or sensory disabilities.

"If I didn't have a Vivienne today and wanted to go for a walk, what would I do? I want to find a solution to that. It's partly about raising awareness among walking groups."

Amar has made a video with the Ramblers explaining how to guide visually impaired people; they are hoping this will remove some of the fear associated with having blind ramblers join groups of what he calls "light-dependent" walkers.