Educational Web

VR Project

Big Talbot Island

Photograph Copyright
https://pixels.com/featured/periwinkle-sunrise-at-
blackrock-beach-big-talbot-island-state-p-dawna-
moore-photography.html

Stephanie Giordano, Sarah Saz, and

Stephanie Neil
University of North Florida
ENC 4260: Applied Technical Writing
Dr. Kailan Sindelar
 Table
of
Contents

Executive Summary 1
Introduction 2
Problem Statement 3
Environmental
Problem 4
Objectives 5
Methods 6
Project Management 7
Schedule 8
Justification 9
Works Cited 10
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Executive
Summary

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https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FBig_Talbot_I
sland_State_Park&psig=AOvVaw0G220Sbu8UQMTfEdDMDLXk&ust=1664050003616000&sourc
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Talbot Island State Park is one of the highlights of Northeast Florida Formatted: Indent: First line: 0.5"

which inevitably brings visitors from all over the state to experience it’sits
breathtaking views. However, many of the visitors that have come to the
Talbot Islands have issued complaints regarding the inaccessibility and
environmental complications at the park. The following is a proposal for
the creation of a Web Virtual Reality project intended to inform viewers
about the park through the use ofby using the 360 degree360-degree
images and audio recordings. When viewers access the Web VRWeb VR,
they will feel like they are on the beach at Talbot, which is notoriously
inaccessible for the disabled. This provides people with the opportunity to
enjoy the views of Talbot Island without dealing with the challenges of
accessing the beach. The Web VR also will operate as an
informative/educational experience on the ecosystem and environmental
conditions that make up Talbot Island State Park. With the formation of
this Web VR, our group anticipates on minimizing the stress that comes
with visiting State Parks for those with disabilities.
 Introduction
The Talbot Islands State Parks in North Florida were established became established
in the 1980s. It is a place where you can hike, canoe, kayak, surf, fish, bike, and more.
It is located along the shores from Jacksonville to Amelia Island on Heckscher Drive. It
has five different hiking trails, all with different lengths depending on your liking. As a
nature preserve, they have many an abundance of trees on the beach called
“Boneyard Beach '' as well as black rocks along the seashore. They recommend
staying on the trails already made out for guests to prevent erosion on the bluffs.
For Talbot's historical background, there is not much to explore besides that
colonization occurred. The first people to arrive on these shores were the Timucua
IndiansIndigenous people. Their typical meals included fish and seafood as the primary
source of food. Their diet also included deer and alligators when it came to hunting,
typical Floridian animals they had as a resource. As for their language, it got converted
from “Timacuan” to Christianity language or English. When the Europeans settled here
around the 1500s1500s, they either took them in as slaves or kicked them off their
land. Around 200,000 Timucuan got wiped out by the 1800s due to European settlers.
.
When it comes to rules and regulations, their hours range from 8eight in the
morning until sundown all year long. The sundown changes throughout the seasons of
course so the timing may vary. For boatersboaters, the ramp is open 24 hours a day,
which can be confusing since the park closes at sundown; boaters would have to call
to ask more questions about that. They have different fees for launching, parking, or
accessing; fees range from $2-$4 depending on what you are doing. When doing
different amenities in the park they have recommendations on what not to do, or how
to stay safe on the property. One of the rules they enforce is located inis within their pet
policy; to summarize, pets must be kept on a leash, and they are not allowed on the
beach, in buildings, or on boardwalks.
Talbot offers many different experiences depending on your liking. For the trails,
guests can walk, bicycle, bird watch, rollerblade, or geoseeker geocache. When it
comes to the water aspect of the park you have boating, kayaking, canoeing, or
paddling. Swimming is not recommended or encouraged, everything in the park is at
your own risk. More experiences can range from birdwatching, to even being able to
host a wedding. They also have a historic site to learn more about the history of the
park/location. Many people go for photoshoots and picnics since the trees are old and
pale; something that is not typical.
Overall, Talbot can range for many things depending on one's liking. It is a place
that can have many different experiences along with getting mosquito bites. Some
questions arise when considering visiting the park.
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Problem Statement
[The problem found within Big Talbot Island is
through the accessibility issues that limit individuals to
reap the benefits of the park’s’ beauty.]

The act of spending time in nature has been proven

to function as a form of therapy for humans, a
practice often referred to as ecotherapy. Research
has shown that natural environments can have
beneficial effects on mental and physical health by
“reducing the time it takes to recover from stressful
events, reducing mental fatigue, increasing social ties
and encouraging people to engage in more physical
activities” (Zhang). Talbot Island State Park in
Jacksonville, Florida, which is part of the Timucuan
Ecological and Historic Preserve, is an ideal location
for ecotherapy. The State Park offers endless views
of nature that include sandy white beaches, trails
throughout, marshes, and wildlife that you can only
get in Florida.

Unfortunately, accessibility issues at Talbot Island

State Park have made it difficult for people--especially
those with disabilities-- to enjoy the sights of the park
or benefit from ecotherapy. Some issues that make it
challenging for disabled humans include a lack of
signage, inaccessible hiking trails, and no
handicapped access to the beach. It goes without
sayingis obvious that having disabilities can already
be limiting for the an impaired person, so it should be
a priority to make places easily accessible for them,
just as places are typically made accessible for the
able-bodied. The objective of this project is to use
Web VR as a tool to inform and educate potential
visitors to Talbot Island. Those with disabilities can
Photograph Copyright: Formatted: Font: 14 pt
use the Web VR to explore the park prior to visiting to https://www.904happyhour.com/article/explore-
assess what areas are or are not accessible for them. big-talbot-island-state-park-and-boneyard-beach

Because some areas in Talbot Island State Park are

naturally inaccessible as a result ofbecause of the
ecosystem at work, the chances of making every
area in the park generally more accessible for
humans is not a guarantee. Considering this factor,
people can enjoy the sights of the natural
environment in Talbot Island from the comfort of their
own home if they choose to by accessing the Web
VR.
 When it comes to the environmental issues of the park they can range from many
things. There are things like tick infestations that can lead to things like Lyme disease.
That is a big factora key factor to think about before visiting; Lyme disease is not too
likelylikely, but it is dangerous. Another problematic factor was the lack of trail signs and
information when arriving at the park. The internet is a good place to find information on
the park itself with rules included. Different Florida State park websites include lots of
information to prepare you for your visit. While discussing this as a group we concluded
that the biggest topic issue was accessibility.
“Accessibility means that all people can perceive, understand, navigate, and
interact with electronic information and be active, contributing members of the digital
world. Visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, and neurological disabilities should
be taken into account when implementing accessibility measures. (n.d, national Center
on Deaf-Blindness)” As a group, we are trying to include people who fall under this
whole category. It is difficult for people to go out and experience nature when there are
missing tools to help them.
Before our visit, we have been researching to find information on accessibility at
Talbot and the section on it is very vague. Pieces that we thought were important
included having decks for elevated viewing of the bluff, having a mobile-mat (blue,
portable, and removable roll-out mat), and restrooms. It does not mention that one of
the parking lots is gravel and rocks, which is something that can be concerning if
someone has a disability. People also do not know what the bathrooms are like, is there
a dedicated restroom for wheelchair accessibility? One thing people look forward to in
Florida is the beaches, but if they are not accessible then it becomes difficult for people
who want to see the famous boneyard beach.
Our main concern as a group is if the park is accessible enough for people with
disabilities. We hope to point out more safety/accessible issues after our visit but for
now, this is all we have gathered from visiting online sites and collecting information on
the images provided. The images themselves do not do justice to the park and that is
where we come in.
Objectives & Methods
Big Talbot Island State park is located in Northeast Florida, where the natural beauty of our
environment prospers as the park is a part of the Timucuan Parks Foundation. This is an
environmental melting pot as it features various educational and human benefits such as,
biking, birdwatching, fishing, hiking, and paddle sports. However, from a visual aspect, Big
Talbot Island State Park has an environmental problem that can be benefited through the use
of 60-degree visual and audio recordings. Big Talbot Island has some mobility and accessibility
problems around the park that hinders disabled people, older individuals, and even children
from benefiting from everything the park has to offer. This is where 360-degree VR and AR can
be beneficial in fixing the park's problems.

To get access to the beach at Big Talbot Island you must hike through sandy and grassy areas
that are not disability friendly. Further, at the park there is no signage or any information that
informs people how far the hike is to reach the beach. Therefore, 360-degree visuals and audio
recordings of Big Talbot Island can allow for individuals to experience the wonders of the park
through the recordings without straining themselves physically. It is important that no matter
what anyones limitations individuals have, that they have access to learn and receive the
benefits that being in nature provides.

There are ample benefits to 360-degree visuals and audio recordings of Big Talbot Island that
include examples such as, when weather or other factors limit people from exploring the park,
you can experience the environment through VR and AR. AlsoAlso, the recordings are a useful
tool to allow people to become educated on the environmental ecosystem of Big Talbot State
Park and to inform people about the importance of environmental restoration. We can use this
opportunity to educate people on how they should be treating the environment, for instance,
respecting the natural habitat by not littering or disturbing the animals that live there. We can
go even further and educate people on how climate change and humans negatively affect the
ecosystem of the park.

Hopefully by using Big Talbot Island State Park to educate people through the 360-degree
visuals and audio recordings, it will create a catalyst of change in the way environments are
treated. In addition, more audiences can be reached through the 360-degree visuals and audio
recordings, as I explained, the accessibility in Big Talbot Island is limited because of lack of
accessibility and mobility issues throughout the park. Thus, the VR and AR recordings can aid
in helping reach more people who can’t physically come to benefit from everything Big Talbot
State Park has to offer.

Through the American Disability Act, Florida State Parks have an Accessibility and Inclusion
Policy. Within this, they try their best to accommodate people with disabilities and Big Talbot
Island State Park is one out of many Florida state parks that claims to be easily accessible.
However, through personal experience, Big Talbot Island has its various problems that hinders
easy access. Therefore, this is where 360-degree visuals and audio recordings can benefit the
Florida State Park. In the comfort of people's homeshomes, the VR and AR experience can
immerse people in the Big Talbot State park environment without any discomfort to the
individual.

All in all, the benefits of 360-degree visuals and audio recordings at Big Talbot Island State
Park are to help eliminate problems that are presented due to the lack of accessibility for
individuals. The experience would also help reach a bigger audience as it would aid in people
becoming educated about the ecosystem, climate change, and how to help be a part of
environmental restoration. This information is not readily available at Big Talbot Island State
Park as there are no signs or information provided anywhere in the park.
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Methodology
allowed for our audience to grasp what we did to conduct our
usability report.

Our team consisting of Stephanie Giordano, Stephanie Neil, and Sarah Saz decided to Formatted: Font: Helvetica Neue Light

implement usability testing to collect feedback on the Web VR as a method to enhance our
user experience. We plan on recruiting four participants to assist
in conducting our usability research and we will select them based on their
individual history with accessibility issues. Our team will select a date, time, and place to meet
with these four users separately and we will request signatures on a consent form before
proceeding with the testing. After receiving the signatures from our users, we will begin
setting up equipment which will include a laptop, Story Sphere, the Screencast-o-
Matic software, a voice recorder app, and paper and pens for notetaking.
Once the equipment is fully set up, we will instruct our users to move through the spheres
while using the think-aloud method. We will instruct our users to provide us with
any potential feedback they may have on their experience as well
as verbalize whatever troubles they might face while operating the Web VR. When the users
begin, we will sit back and observe as they move through the spheres. While observing them,
we will take note of any comments or questions that might be raised by our users.
When the participants finish going through the six spheres and listening to
the accompanying audio, we will move on to the interview portion. We plan on asking the
users a series of fifteen questions about their experience operating the Web VR as well as
what their opinions might be on the accessibility issues at Big Talbot Island State Park. As we
conclude these sessions, we will take this information and assess what recommendations we
may have to improve both our Web VR user experience and the accessibility issues at the
park.
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Management

This project is being managed by our group which includes members

Stephanie Neil, Sarah Saz, and Stephanie Giordano. Our role as a group is
to merge our individual knowledge and research on Talbot Island to create a
Web VR that will provide viewers with a uniquely informative experience.
The responsibilities that are tied to this group role include conducting further
research regarding accessibility and environmental issues at Talbot Island,
visiting the location to shoot the 360-degree images, organizing sources
and media for our Web VR, and creating the Web VR project in time for the
deadline on October 14th. .
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Schedule 8 Formatted: Font color: Auto

If weather conditions allow,allow the weekend of Saturday October 1st

and Sunday October 2nd we all will head over to Big Talbot Island
State park. At Big Talbot we will take 360-degree images of the park to
capture the scenery and sounds. While taking the images we will also
show how limited the accessibility is, which will further emphasize why
the use of 360-degree virtual reality and audio recordings is beneficial
technology to implement at Big Talbot State Park.

The week of October 3rd we will start planning and organizing our
images and video together to brainstorm how we want our web VR
project to look.

The week of October 10th we will put everything together to make our
Web VR project presentable and one-hundred percent clean, so we
are confident to turn in on October 14th.

Photograph Copyright
https://www.timucuanparks.org/parks/big-talbot-island/
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Justification 9

Florida's beautiful Big Talbot Island State Park is a wonderful entity to explore
nature and take in the benefits of what the outdoors has to offer. Through virtual
reality and audio recordings we can help eliminate the negatives of Big Talbot
Island State Park. Unfortunately, Big Talbot Island has some human accessibility
issues that limits people from reaping the ample benefits of the park. This is
where 360-degree virtualdegree virtual reality and audio recordings come into
play because the technology allows anyone and everyone to navigate Big Talbot
Island without leaving their homes.
Accessibility is important because everyone deserves to be able to
benefit from nature and the technology of 360-degree virtual reality and audio
recordings can help with this through the ability to allow both education and
reaching more people who cannot come to Big Talbot Island for an abundance
of mobility or other reasons.

Photograph Copyright Snipping Photo:

https://www.floridastateparks.org/sites/default/files/medi
a/file/bti-brochure.pdf
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Works 10

Cited Word count: 2,852

Florida Department of Environmental Protection. “Big Talbot Island State Park.”

Florida State Parks, 2018, https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/big-
talbot-island-state-park.

Florida Department of Environmental Protection. “History.” Florida State Parks,

2018, https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/big-talbot-island-state-
park/history.

Florida Department of Environmental Protection. “Talbot Islands State Parks.”

Talbot Islands State Parks, 2018,
https://www.floridastateparks.org/sites/default/files/media/file/bti-brochure.pdf.

Friend ,Friend, Sandra, and John Keatley. “Big Talbot Island State Park.” Florida
Hikes, 16 July 2022, https://floridahikes.com/big-talbot-island-state-park.

Green Journal. “Is VR Good for the Environment?: Green Journal.” Green Journal |
News about Green Energy, 19 Feb. 2019,
https://www.greenjournal.co.uk/2019/02/is-vr-good-for-the-environment/.

National Center on Deaf-Blindness. “Why Accessibility Is Important.” Why

Accessibility Is Important | National Center on Deaf-Blindness, 2022,
https://www.nationaldb.org/for-state-deaf-blind-projects/accessibility-toolkit/why-
accessibility-is-important/.

National Parks Service. “The Timucua: North Florida's Early People.” National
Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 7 Aug. 2019,
https://www.nps.gov/timu/learn/historyculture/timupeople.htm.

Ünal, A.B., et al. “Is Virtual Reality a Valid Tool for Restorative Environments
Research?” Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, Urban & Fischer, 11 July 2022,
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1618866722002163.
Zhang, Gaochao, et al. “Health-Promoting Nature Access for People with Mobility
Impairments: A Systematic Review.” International Journal of Environmental
Research and Public Health, MDPI, 29 June 2017,
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5551141/#:~:text=According%20t
o%20research%2C%20natural%20environments,more%20physical%20activities
%20%5B6%5D.

Zhou, Zhi Wu, et al. “Research on the Optimized Environment of Large Bridges
Based on Multi-Constraint Coupling.” Environmental Impact Assessment Review,
Elsevier, 21 Sept. 2022,
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195925522001809