Touchable Objects at the de Young Museum

De Young museum's ADA Coordinator, Tish Brown, provided me with a list of objects at the de Young that are available to be touched by blind visitors. I visited on April 3, a free admission day, to observe the objects.

Even though the pieces are on permanent display, again, they are to be touched by appointment only.

Stepping Out, 1999, Elizabeth Catlett (b. 1915), laminated Guatamalan mahogany

Font Accessibility

An introduction to font accessibility

"Accessibility of images is emphasised during web design training, but an equally important issue that is much less discussed is font accessibility. While images require alt text tags to enable the visually impaired to know what is being displayed, well-done font accessibility will make your site more available for everyone."

Research Survey

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RK3XVXK

This is the survey I am sending out to be taken by SFSU's Design and Industry students. I wanted to get a general feel for sighted people's impressions of touchable art, as it may become available to them with my proposal.

A Talk with Tish Brown

I met with Tish Brown, the ADA Coordinator of the FAMSF to discuss accessibility policies and procedures for visitors. Brown is responsible for providing and organizing accommodations for visitors with disabilities including, but not limited to, transportation to the museum, wheelchairs, alternative materials, audio tours and sign language interpretation.

Regarding materials for blind and visually impaired visitors, Brown informed me of the museum’s printed scripts with Braille. These are available only by request; however, they are not requested frequently. Most visually impaired visitors favor the audio tour, provided free to them.

Furthermore, the museum holds Access Days for special exhibitions which offers reduced crowds, more accommodating parking, wheelchairs, audio and docent tours, and more. These days are prepared for visitors with disabilities, although anyone can attend them.

Brown provided me with a list of objects at the de Young that are can be touched by blind visitors by appointment. The process is selective as visitors must qualify to participate. A three-week appointment is required to schedule a tour with a trained docent. For the selection of touchable objects, it is the condition, not visitor sanitation, that dictates whether they can be touched by human hands. A great deal of care is ensured during the process. The tours are security informed and docent led. Hands must be washed and dried. In a year’s time, however, not many blind people request this experience (no more than twenty).

The advice and information Tish Brown imparted with me has become an invaluable resource for my research and design considerations. Specifically, the touchable objects and the current system through which they are experienced. I hope to create a system that allows blind and visually impaired to encounter art in a more independent and ready approach.

Midterm Presentation

The Art of Touch (PDF link)

The midterm for this research and development course was a chance to gain more perspective on the problem. I developed four "personas" or stakeholders that are affected by the problem:

• Kelvin, a young grade school student
• Stanley, museum security officer
• Claudia, assistant conservator
• Lily, a guide dog

With each persona, I developed a glimpse at a day during which they would be involved with touchable art at the de Young. Looking at the problem through four different lenses allowed me to consider and discover details from more than solely the blind visitor.

PERT Chart

Course Timeline