Last summer I was introduced to Ellis Lane, a curator from the Allen Memorial Art Museum in Oberlin. At the time he just started working on a project to make artwork accessible for visually impaired people. The Digital Reimaginings exhibit opened recently. Ellis didn’t only create a fully accessible program, but I really appreciated his approach to it, where I had the honor to collaborate with him.
As he was putting the exhibit together, he continuously solicited feedback from visually impaired people in the form of online and on-site focus groups. This is particularly important because he took the surprise factor out of the equation, and put something together that he had feedback on. It is important to note that though the original idea was to create something particularly for visually impaired people, he also ensured accessibility and inclusion for all people, with our without disabilities.
The exhibit consists of a few objects spanning centuries and different parts of the world. Given that the original artworks should not be touched by all visitors, he created 3d printed replicas. Besides the replicas, he also designed some lithophanes showing different aspects of the use of one of the artifacts.
The exhibit can be viewed alone, or guidance can be requested as well. By each object there is a large print and a braille description, together with an audio guide, so guests can take the approach that best fits their needs.
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