MUSM 7008 – Dissertation

Synopsis
Design for darkness
Museum communication for visually impaired visitors

Submitted by
Al Amin Nathani
Student Number: 43383559

In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of
Masters of Museum Studies
School of Social Science, The University of Queensland

1. Introduction
In museums, the visitors are encouraged to appreciate the achievements of our civilization. Whether the displayed objects have artistic, social or cultural significance, the rule is to observe and create interpretation. But what if visitor can’t look or have difficulty in creating the visual image of the object? Does it create limited experience for visually impaired visitors? This study will focus on exploring applied design methods to enhance museum experience for visually impaired visitors. The study will be a combination of theoretical and practical case studies which will discuss the sensorial exhibition space from designer’s perspective.
2. Objective and Scope
• To understand effective ways of museum communication for visually impaired visitors.
• To understand design strategies for creating experience beyond visual sense.
• To identify affectivity of alternate methods like Haptic and Tactile graphics, Braille, models, and audio and touch tours.
• To discuss various case studies which are using alternate design techniques for conveying museum message for these visitors.

3. Research Questions
• What alternative methods museums are using for creating inclusive experience for visually impaired visitors?
• What are the curatorial and design practices in bridging the gap between sight and meaning?
• What is the role of technology in achieving this blend?

4. Research Framework The research will be based on comparative study between Haptic (3D Modelling), Tactile (Braille and Touch Tours) and Audio (Narrative tours). The analysis of case studies will discuss the connection between theory and practice for designing sensory exhibitions for visually impaired visitors. The final argument will provide a deeper understanding on alternative method and its implications.
5. Research Methodology
The study will be based on three sections to develop an analytical argument. The first section will cover the literary sources to understand the theoretical aspect of designing spaces for visually impaired visitors in museum. The work would be mostly based on theoretical findings of Nina Levent and Joan Muyskens Pursley in designing tactile exhibitions. The material will be sourced from their publications and Museum Association journals. The study will also incorporate the works of John Alfred Charlton Deas at Sunderland Museum, England. He explored the blind visitors’ interpretation of objects after having tactile experienced. It will help in understanding the relation between object and interpretation without having sight.
The second section will discuss alternative design techniques which curators and designers are applying to create sensory experiences. Haptic Medium are the 3D models of the real artworks which provides a tactile experience to visually impaired people. This technology has seen great advancement due to the immense possibilities of 3D printing and sensory stimulation. Tactile Braille and touch tours are very popular medium to share information with the disable visitors. The tactile guides marked on the exhibition spaces enhances the accessibility for these visitors and guide them around the gallery for better experience.
The third section will discuss few precedent projects which have explored the needs of these visitors and devised various methods to accomplish them. The finding from these projects will help in re-evaluating the approach of different museums in facilitating the needs of visually impaired visitors.
a. Case Studies
Dialogue in the Dark
It is an experience in total darkness through which, led by blind guides, one learns to interact and communicate by relying on other senses. Within a period of 60 minutes, the experience allows the participant to discover:
› How to find orientation and move in the dark?
› How to identify the world through the remaining senses?
› How to communicate and collaborate without sight?
By entering into a world without sight, we learn new abilities from those who are perceived to be disabled.
Madrid’s Prado museum
The Prado has worked hard over recent years to widen access to its collections, investing in outreach programs or simply installing wheelchair ramps throughout its historic galleries. Up until now, however, blind and partially sighted people have been unable to enjoy the museum’s vast collection, which includes iconic works by Goya, El Greco and Velázquez.
The solution, the curators concluded, was not simply offering audio or Braille guides, but to create elaborate 3-D replicas of key works, which visitors could touch. By inviting them to break the “no touching” rule in their new “Touching the Prado” exhibit, visually impaired visitors can at last gain some appreciation of the works on display.
Penn Museum’s Touch Tour
The Penn Museum allows patrons to handle artefacts as part of their new "touch tours" for the blind and visually impaired. After thoroughly washing with sanitizing wipes, several sets of hands roamed over the curve of stone, and poked fingers into carved hieroglyphs. They traced cracks, discovered sand erosion, and felt where gaps in the original carved stone has been filled in by conservators.
However, you do have to be blind or visually impaired to experience that kind of pleasure at the Penn Museum. Touch tours are restricted to those who are blind or visually impaired, and available on select Mondays, when the museum is normally closed to visitors.
Zero Project
The Probos unit offers the chance to have a 3-D tactile experience of museum objects through fingertip discovery. The system features high-quality 3-D scans of an object and offers additional audio/multimedia information and the ability to magnify and zoom in on details. It is possible to feel details like cracks on the surface according to the magnification and it is possible to differentiate materials from the sound they make. A prototype was installed at the Manchester Museum in 2012. Throughout the design and development process, blind and partially sighted persons were closely involved to make the technology as accessible and ‘user-friendly’ as possible.
The Typhlological Museum, Zagreb, Croatia
The Typhlological Museum in Zagreb, Croatia, is a public institution that interprets and communicates knowledge from two fields – museology and education/rehabilitation science. The permanent galleries give visitors a historical overview of issues regarding blind people in Croatia, including the origins of institutional care for the blind. Visitors enter through a dark room (pictured bellow), which, as the name suggests, is pitch black, in order to stimulate their other senses.
The museum's exhibition space and the displays meet the different physical and intellectual needs of visitors:
• Floor stripes guide visually-impaired people and visitors with learning difficulties through the exhibition area.
• People in wheelchairs have enough space to move between the mounts.
• Tactile maps made of tin provide basic information and orientation.
6. Conclusion
Designing for visually impaired visitors is more than just providing them Braille and audio tour. These mediums may provide them information but will create a gap between their experience and interpretation. This study will explore definite mediums which can fill this gap and create a holistic sensorial experience for these visitors. The designers can never find a perfect set of guidelines but at least they can create something concrete which encourages these visitors to visit museum often.

7. Bibliography
Axel, E., & Levent, N. (2003). Art beyond sight. A Resource Guide to Art, Creativity, and Visual Impairment. New York: AFB Press.
Deas, J. A. Charlton. 'The Showing of Museums and Art Galleries to the Blind'. The Museums Journal, 13, 3, p. 89, Sept. 1913,
Fondation de France., & International Committee of Museums (ICOM),. (2013). Museums Without Barriers. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis.
Rice, D. (1988). Vision and culture: The role of museums in visual literacy. The Journal of museum education.
Salgado, M. and Kellokoski, A. “Äänijälki (2005), Opening Dialogues for Visually Impaired Inclusion in Museums”. In Proc. of “Rethinking Technology for Museums”, Limerick, Ireland. vom Lehn, D. (2010). Discovering ‘Experience-ables’: Socially including visually impaired people in art museums. Journal Of Marketing Management, 26(7-8), 749-769.

8. References
Crimmins, P. (2012). Penn Museum's 'touch tours' offer blind visitors grasp of ancient history — NewsWorks. Newsworks.org. Retrieved 4 March 2015, from http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/arts-culture/45626-penn-museums-touch-tours-offer-blind-visitors-grasp-of-ancient-history-
Dialogue-in-the-dark.com,. (2015). Dialogue in the Dark. Retrieved 27 February 2015, from http://www.dialogue-in-the-dark.com/
Rice, D. (1988). Vision and culture: The role of museums in visual literacy. The Journal of museum education, 13-17.
Si.edu,. (2015). Smithsonian Guidelines for Accessible Exhibition Design. Retrieved 1 March 2015, from http://www.si.edu/accessibility/sgaed
Sportun, S. (2015). Manchester Museum - United Kingdom. Zero Project. Retrieved 4 March 2015, from http://zeroproject.org/practice/haptic-and-tactile-museum-experience/
Susi, Z. (2011). Case study: museum for the blind | Museums Association. Museumsassociation.org. Retrieved 5 March 2015, from http://www.museumsassociation.org/museum-practice/access-visually-impaired-visitors/15092011-the-typhlological-museum
The Mighty. (2015). The Incredible Way Blind Museum-goers Can Now Experience Famous Paintings. The Mighty. Retrieved 26 February 2015, from http://themighty.com/2015/02/the-incredible-way-blind-museum-goers-can-now-experience-famous-paintings/