Locke and Hume’s philosophical theory of color is investigated through a case study of Esref Armagan, an artist born blind

This article investigates Locke and Hume’s philosophical theory of color, through a study of the fine art practice of Esref Armagan, a Turkish artist who was born blind. The philosophical theory of color is important to the cultural history of blindness, as it has been used to justify early curricula in schools for the blind. This study is based on the following research question: Can people who are born blind understand color in the fine arts? The study is part of a grounded methodology study of art practices and visual impairment, whose findings informed a participatory study of museum access. This article examines part of the study’s first phase, and focuses on the practice of the blind Turkish artist, Esref Armagan. Data was collected through a translated correspondence interview with Esref Armagan, and an examination of research articles focusing on Armagan’s drawing skills. The study’s data is analyzed using Anderson, Krathwohl, and Bloom’s (2001) learning hierarchy. It is found that Armagan has an extensive knowledge of color and other visual concepts, developed symbolically. What is more, not only does Armagan have a knowledge of color, but he can use this knowledge creatively in accordance with Anderson et al.’s (2001) highest level of learning (level 6). The article concludes that Locke and Hume’s philosophical theory of color can be challenged in the context of the creative fine arts, as Armagan could develop unique, creative images using color. Therefore, our application of the philosophical theory of color on the education of students with visual impairments, and the pedagogical and andragogical practice based on these theories, should be questioned

Cultural Differences in ARCHES: A European Participatory Research Project—Working with Mixed Access Preferences in Different Cultural Heritage Sites

This article discusses the differences and difficulties that the ARCHES project has encountered when setting up and working with participatory research groups as part of a large-scale European project. The article seeks to clarify how participation is experienced across different international partners and research groups. This is explored in relation to recruitment of exploration groups, understanding participatory research, and challenging the definitions of disability. It also shares our methods of working with the participants and the impact upon those ways of working within different cultural environments. The article aims to guide future projects alike

Emergent analysis and dissemination within participatory research

Authentic participation involving jointly undertaken analysis of data and dissemination of findings, is rarely evident in participatory research involving disabled people. This paper examines analysis and dissemination which offers greater participation and offers a theoretical underpinning for this approach. This conceptualisation arises from ARCHES, a museum education and access research project involving over 150 disabled people and a systematic review undertaken as part of this project. A few studies, including ARCHES, have moved beyond traditional research analysis to recognise the evolving nature of the “messy space” (Seale, Nind, Tilley & Chapman, 2015) and how this may inform approaches to data and dissemination. This paper frames this space as the While of participation, a concept which emerged from the systematic literature review (RIX ET AL, 2019) and from working within ARCHES. It explores how the While of participation is experienced in practice, in relation to analysis and dissemination. In particular it focuses upon its emergent nature. Within this project and occasionally elsewhere in the literature, data analysis and dissemination are not retrospective or separated activities, but arise as part of the ongoing participatory process, where immersion and dialogue are at the root of all knowledge development and sharing

What common design principles can be distilled out from literature in the field of technologies and learning difficulties that might inform the design of technologies within the EU funded ARCHES Project?

The focus of this research report is people who have diverse access needs associated with perception, memory, cognition and communication- those who are frequently ascribed the label of ‘learning difficulties’1 and the technologies that may help to enhance their access to and inclusion into cultural and heritage sites (including digital assets)

Taking risks to enable participatory data analysis and dissemination – A research note

The involvement of all participants within all aspects of the research process is a well-established challenge for participatory research. This is particularly evident in relation to data analysis and dissemination. A novel way of understanding and approaching this challenge emerged through a large scale international, three year participatory research project involving over 200 disabled people. This approach enabled people to be involved at all stages of the research in a manner which was collectively recognised to be participatory and also delivered high quality findings. At the heart of this emergent approach to participatory research is an engagement with risk. This research note explores the types of risks involved in delivering research which seeks to be authentically participatory

Accessible Resources for Cultural Heritage EcoSystems (ARCHES):Initial Observations from the Fieldwork

This presentation discusses a study of learners with sensory impairments and learning difficulties using mobile technologies and touch objects in European museums. The fieldwork is based in Spain, Austria and the UK, and the museums involved include the Victoria & Albert Museum (London), the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum (Madrid) and the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Vienna). The presentation aims to discuss early findings from participatory research in Madrid and London, and suggest new protocols for apps, operating systems, hardware and best practice to support access to museums for learners with additional access needs. The research is informed by two questions: 1. How can museums in Europe best support people with sensory impairments and learning difficulties through mobile technologies? 2. How can museums in Europe engage participants with sensory impairments and learning difficulties in the development of access? The methodology used during the study is participatory research, which is a form of emancipatory and inclusive research. Data collection methods include feedback from monthly and bi-monthly meetings, interviews with participants, participant focus groups, photographs of practice by the participants and of participants’ practice, art making activities and participant diaries. The data from this study is analysed through a model of inclusive capital, which is designed to facilitate social and cultural inclusion of people with access needs. The following three findings from London and Madrid are discussed: 1) participants in different countries engage with museums in different ways, and this engagement is guided more by cultural background rather than sensory impairment or learning difficulty; 2) technologies and support strategies for engaging learners with one form of access need can also benefit and increase engagement of participants with other forms of access need (for example, descriptions of artworks designed for people with visual impairments can benefit learners with hearing impairments and learning difficulties); 3) there are tensions between learners with different access needs who have not worked together previously, making the process of developing single access strategies difficult. It is concluded that current models of engaging and supporting learners with access needs according to individual impairments needs to be re-assessed, and technologies need to be developed using greater participatory practice

In Search of a Decision-Making Framework for Involving Users Who Have Learning Disabilities or Sensory Impairments in the Process of Designing Future Technologies

A comprehensive literature review was undertaken in order to identify design approaches that have been employed with users who have learning disabilities or sensory impairment; the factors that influenced their choices and the extent to which the approaches and techniques adopted were successful. There was a huge variation across the corpus regarding whether a justification was offered for the choice of approach and the extent to which those justifications were supported by evidence. In addition there was a lack of comprehensive evaluation of the design approaches. Technology designers who intend working with users with learning disabilities or sensory impairments therefore currently have little to help them decide which design approach might be the most appropriate or effective.</p

A participatory approach to the evaluation of participatory museum research projects

In this paper we will describe, justify and critique a participatory approach that we have developed in order to evaluate the success of a participatory research project that was exploring ways of making museum learning experiences more inclusive for adults who have a diverse range of access preferences. Because we were researching in a unique space at the intersection of inclusive museum education, inclusive technologies and participatory research we have needed to develop an original evaluation approach; informed by methods and frameworks derived from other fields. We present examples of the kind of evaluation information that the framework elicited and use this as a basis to critique the strengths and weaknesses of the framework. Our experience of using creative methods for eliciting evaluation data suggest that useful information about participation can be revealed but that further improvements can be made in order to make the research experience more participatory

Pictures in Your Mind: Using Interactive Gesture-Controlled Reliefs to Explore Art

Tactile reliefs offer many benefits over the more classic raised line drawings or tactile diagrams, as depth, 3D shape, and surface textures are directly perceivable. Although often created for blind and visually impaired (BVI) people, a wider range of people may benefit from such multimodal material. However, some reliefs are still difficult to understand without proper guidance or accompanying verbal descriptions, hindering autonomous exploration. In this work, we present a gesture-controlled interactive audio guide (IAG) based on recent low-cost depth cameras that can be operated directly with the hands on relief surfaces during tactile exploration. The interactively explorable, location-dependent verbal and captioned descriptions promise rapid tactile accessibility to 2.5D spatial information in a home or education setting, to online resources, or as a kiosk installation at public places. We present a working prototype, discuss design decisions, and present the results of two evaluation studies: the first with 13 BVI test users and the second follow-up study with 14 test users across a wide range of people with differences and difficulties associated with perception, memory, cognition, and communication. The participant-led research method of this latter study prompted new, significant and innovative developments

Accessible Resources for Cultural Heritage EcoSystems (ARCHES):Initial Observations from the Fieldwork

This presentation discusses a study of learners with sensory impairments and learning difficulties using mobile technologies and touch objects in European museums. The fieldwork is based in Spain, Austria and the UK, and the museums involved include the Victoria &amp; Albert Museum (London), the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum (Madrid) and the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Vienna). The presentation aims to discuss early findings from participatory research in Madrid and London, and suggest new protocols for apps, operating systems, hardware and best practice to support access to museums for learners with additional access needs. The research is informed by two questions: 1. How can museums in Europe best support people with sensory impairments and learning difficulties through mobile technologies? 2. How can museums in Europe engage participants with sensory impairments and learning difficulties in the development of access? The methodology used during the study is participatory research, which is a form of emancipatory and inclusive research. Data collection methods include feedback from monthly and bi-monthly meetings, interviews with participants, participant focus groups, photographs of practice by the participants and of participants’ practice, art making activities and participant diaries. The data from this study is analysed through a model of inclusive capital, which is designed to facilitate social and cultural inclusion of people with access needs. The following three findings from London and Madrid are discussed: 1) participants in different countries engage with museums in different ways, and this engagement is guided more by cultural background rather than sensory impairment or learning difficulty; 2) technologies and support strategies for engaging learners with one form of access need can also benefit and increase engagement of participants with other forms of access need (for example, descriptions of artworks designed for people with visual impairments can benefit learners with hearing impairments and learning difficulties); 3) there are tensions between learners with different access needs who have not worked together previously, making the process of developing single access strategies difficult. It is concluded that current models of engaging and supporting learners with access needs according to individual impairments needs to be re-assessed, and technologies need to be developed using greater participatory practice