Making Art Accessible to All: Co-Creating Multi-sensory Art with Visually Impaired People

Abstract

Blind and visually impaired people experience many limitations when encountering artworks, and most of the general public lack attention and understanding of the visually impaired community. Despite previous research efforts to make visual art more accessible to blind and visually impaired people through audio descriptions, tactile graphics, or digital media technologies, they still face challenges in experiencing art independently and feeling an emotional connection with artworks. This study explores how to create multi-sensory art for blind and visually impaired people to awaken a new form of experience. The study conducted semi-structured interviews to understand the experiences and perspectives of curators and blind artists on multi-sensory art. At the same time, by analyzing two case studies on co-creation with the visually impaired community, this study explores practices of involving the visually impaired community in the creative process. In addition, this study aims to investigate the potential of multi-sensory experiences to enhance the enjoyment and accessibility of art and culture for the visually impaired community. This study will broaden the knowledge about vulnerable communities by exploring the possibility of the visually impaired community as co-designers in multi-sensory art. This knowledge will benefit galleries, museums, and disabled communities and may lead to a positive reconsideration of the importance of an expanded sensory culture in our society

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