I tried to send this direct but it would not go through so I'll put it
on the list.
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I work at the Museum of Ophthalmology and also have friends who
have explored this topic.
While finishing my grad work at JFK U in Orinda, CA, one of my
class mates, Joanne Moore, did her grad. project on this topic
at the DeYoung Museum. One of the things she discovered is that
the visually impaired don't necessarily want special treatment.
1) They tend to visit museums with sighted friends
2) In audio discriptions, they tend to want only one or two
descriptors--and find that a list of discriptions only bogs them
down.
3) Most were satisfied with the regular tours offered
4) In the same vein, art work that can be touched was equally
enjoyed by sighted audiences--in general, all people like to
touch.
At my museum, we have found that braille labels and braille guides
are rarely if ever used. One reason is that many visually
impaired people no longer read braille, and if a person does read
braille, it suggests that they are completely blind and thus need
assistance to even find the braille label--which takes us back to
point one--that they are visiting with a sighted friend. We have
worked closely with the Lighthouse for the Blind and the American
Foundation for the Blind on a few projects.
It's a fascinating subject that shows us one amazing thing-that as
far as museums are concerned, people tend to all want the same
thing and all benefit form main-line educational resources.
Primariy, people visit museums as a social activity and also with
the added benefit that they just might learn something along the
way.
That, at least, is my experience. You may try contacting JFK
University in Orinda, CA, and see if Gail Anderson, Chair of the
dept., can get you in touch with Joanne Moore. Also, you may
wish to share this with the rest of the list--I think they would
find it interesting.
Good luck.
John Handley
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