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Putting Parks in Your Hands

Authors: Rodney Franklin, Director of Texas State Parks

Abstract: Director of the State Parks Division for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), Rodney Franklin, speaks about the ceremony unveiling the bronze tactile model of the Mission Espiritu Santo compound at Goliad State Park and Historic Site on March 14, 2026. The multi-year project is the result of the collaboration and commitment of multiple stakeholders dedicated to ensuring accessibility for all visitors, including those who are blind, deafblind, or have low vision.

On Saturday, March 14, 2026, I had a fantastic day at Goliad State Park and Historic Site! It was great to be a part of unveiling the bronze 3D tactile model of the Mission Espiritu Santo. This was a nearly six-year-long project that will now allow people from the blind and low-vision community to experience the architecture and nostalgia that many experience when walking into such a historically significant space. This project brings together so many initiatives that we celebrate, from modernization, to partnership and outreach. This is a great example of Texas State Parks working with the community to connect people to our Texas heritage and special places. The intentionality of this project—to meet people where they are, listen to their feedback but, more importantly, implement their feedback—made our partners feel valued, heard, and respected. To paraphrase one of our partners, “This is what can happen when people ask us what we want instead of giving us what they think we want… THIS is what we want.”   I love it! Many thanks to the park team, partners, and stakeholders who made this moment possible.

Images Courtesy of Texas State Parks

Rodney Franklin, Director of Texas State Parks, speaks at the Goliad 3D Tactile Model Unveiling.

Rodney Franklin, Director of Texas State Parks, speaks at the Goliad 3D Tactile Model Unveiling.

An adult explores a 3D tactile model of the Mission Espiritu Santo cast in bronze.

Yolanda Shaw explores the 3D tactile model of the Mission Espiritu Santo cast in bronze.

  • Two adults pull up a large cloth with the
    Unveiling to the public for the first time the 3D tactile model of the Mission Espiritu Santo cast in bronze at Goliad State Park
  • Two adults explore a 3D tactile model of the Mission Espiritu Santo cast in bronze while being filmed. Two other adults look on.
    Sharin Duffy, Yolanda Shaw, and Charlotte Simpson explore the 3D tactile model of the Mission Espiritu Santo cast in bronze while being filmed by the TPWD film crew.
  • An adult with a guide dog to her left stands at a podium and addresses a crowd of adults seated in chairs outside at Goliad State Park.
    Sharin Duffy, Community Stakeholder and Blind Consultant, speaks at the unveiling of the 3D tactile model of the Mission Espiritu Santo cast in bronze at Goliad State Park.
  • An adult speaks to an audience outside at Goliad State Park.
    Michael Strutt, Director, Cultural Resources Program TPWD, speaks at the unveiling of the 3D tactile model of the Mission Espiritu Santo cast in bronze at Goliad State Park.
  • Three adults pose while seated on folding chairs outside.
    Charlotte Simpson, Yolanda Shaw, and Sharin Duffy, stakeholders, at the unveiling of the 3D tactile model of the Mission Espiritu Santo cast in bronze at Goliad State Park