Braille on the FDR Memorial
Recently, I evaluated the accessibility of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) Memorial located on the National Mall in Washington D.C. My observations describe the experience of people who are blind or have low vision. I describe my observations, and recommendations for improvements, in a report commissioned by the FDR Memorial Legacy Committee. The Braille Carved […]
Revisiting Touch in Pandemic Year Two
As I write this post, we are in the second year of the Covid-19 pandemic, and maybe we are through the worst of it. People are getting vaccinated. The number of corona infections is falling, and public places, including museums, are re-opening. As of April 2021, advice from the Centers for Disease Control indicates that […]
Hearing the Light
My colleagues at the SPACE TELESCOPE SCIENCE INSTITUTE in Baltimore are doing great work on sonification (representing data with sound). They developed a program that adds an audio component to graphs of data. Watch this presentation Hearing The Light on YouTube for more details. Then listen to this podcast to hear their reflections working on […]
Making and Sharing Tactile Graphics
This post highlights websites where people can search for or request the creation of tactile graphics. These projects let people share their expertise and equipment and they offer a way for people to distribute the files or the completed tactile graphics. See3D is a non-profit organization that manages the printing and distribution of 3D printed […]
A Presidential Project
On this inauguration day, January 20, 2021, I am highlighting an important project documenting a historical president. Franklin D. Roosevelt (known by his initials FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States from 1933-1945. He was the architect of the New Deal and the Commander-in-Chief during World War II. FDR also had a physical […]
2020 in review
In December 2020, as I reflect on the year, I am struck by how completely the closure of physical spaces pushed activity online. My work was no exception. Meetings became conference calls, physical exhibits moved to websites, and in-person conferences were transformed into online presentations. collaboration was another theme for this year. I am thankful […]
MCN 2020 Presentation, Accessible Touch Objects
Last week, I gave a presentation on accessible touch objects in partnership with my colleague Lauren Race from the NYU Ability Project. Our talk was part of the MCN2020 virtual conference. Here are the highlights and links for further reading. Defining the problem Most information at museums and historic sites is presented visually, but some […]
user journey to building a website
I created MuseumSenses last year, but I added most of its’ content after the Covid-19 pandemic started. Since many of us are spending a lot of time online now, I decided to write this post to draw back the curtain and reveal the process of creating a website and sharing content from it to my […]
Tactile Access and The 3D-printing Process
This post discusses the 3D printing process and its potential to enhance tactile experience for blind people. There is a critical resource shortage where tactile graphics are concerned, and 3D printing is a technology that can help to bridge the gap. I strongly encourage the interested reader to access the resources linked here for more […]