An easy and inexpensive tool for museum accessibility
Le TOUCH BOARDS. paper are one inclusive tool which allows visitors to access the cultural heritage of a monumental site or a museum smoothly through the sense of the touch as well as the view.
These are media made of cardboard or plastic material such as Plexiglas or dibond or otherwise in a durable material that allows for the exploration of simple, schematic relief representations of details, of works of art, archaeological finds or entire exhibition sections. They can describe individual works, such as paintings or sculptures, provide an overview of entire thematic sections, or help visitors orient themselves within the museum space through schematic tactile maps. This grant is characterized by its small size (A4 or A5 format) and its portability by the user during the visiting experience; it is designed to ensure a autonomous enjoyment and enriching for all visitors, offering an experience that overcomes the sensory barriers and enhances the principle of cultural inclusion.
Characteristics and accessibility of TOUCH CARDS.
It is distinguished from other tactile products in CITISLAB’s catalog by its ease of implementation and low cost. In fact, the cards are designed to be easy to use and are usually placed at the beginning of the pathway of a monumental site or museum, or within the exhibition halls next to the works, and are available to all users.
In addition to embossed tactile elements, TOUCH BOARDS often include large, high-contrast color fonts to ensure better readability even for people who are visually impaired. Contents visuo-tactile are expressed in a clear and simplified way through the relief drawing. Through touch perceptible as well as visible lines, dots and textures, it is possible to represent and, therefore, understand and acquire in one’s cultural background even complex, three-dimensional objects/subjects according to the same approach as reading a braille text with one’s hands.
From design to implementation
The TATTILE BOARDS that CITISLAB proposes possess all the features dictated by the rules of good execution of tiflological tools that make them effective and universally accessible the sign, such as: correct implementation of the reliefs and braille writing, preparation of simplified drawings but with non-superficial content, clarity in the contour lines of figures, respect for the proportions of elements.
Because of these features, tactile cards offer multiple benefits. They allow those who have visual disabilities to have a more in-depth and satisfying museum experience. At the same time, they enrich the tour route for other audiences, such as children or people who want to explore the museum in an alternative way. They offer an experience that stimulates the touch and allows interaction with art and history in a more direct and engaging way.
Each tactile card is carefully designed to represent the essential details of a work. For example, a sculpture can be simplified and translated into a relief drawing highlighting its main structure and proportions, while a painting can be described through lines and textures in relief that allow us to grasp the overall composition and subjects depicted. These tactile images are accompanied by texts in Braille code that provide information about the work, such as title, author, and historical period.
The process of making the tactile cards requires special attention. The preparation of the design of each card is always preceded by the critical reading of the work in question carried out in close collaboration with the curators and art historians of monumental sites and/or museums in order to identify those elements and/or figures that can effectively convey the meaning of the work and that at the same time lend themselves most correctly to tactile communication.
Printing is done by special machines chosen according to the type of design and material of the substrate.