Learn about the Seeing Without Sight Project and Exhibition

Introduction

Delivery of the Seeing without Sight project and resulting exhibition was an important initial milestone on the museum’s journey to expanding access and inclusion for people with disabilities.

Seeing Without Sight is a game changer, it allows you to use your other senses to touch object reproductions and listen to audio descriptions to bring the objects alive – Liam McLoughlin, visually impaired exhibition co-creator

It was a multi-sensory exhibition which enabled visitors to experience a selection of Hunt Museum objects through tactile 3D printed objects, audio descriptions and much more. It was co-created with four people with visually impairment. They harnessed their passion for and knowledge of Hunt Museum objects, and their lived experience of disability, to co-design this highly accessible and award winning exhibition.

Photo of Liam McLoughlin speaking at the launch of Seeing Without Sight. The large yellow interpretative panel from the exhibition is visible behind him. He stands with a microphone in one hand with the other extended in a gesturing position. — Liam McLoughlin speaking at the launch for the exhibition

Two phases of this hugely successful exhibition were delivered. It was launched during Heritage Week (August 21, 2023) and ran until February 2024.

Image giving an overview of the exhibition highlighting its different components, which included three sensory stations placed in from of a large display cabinet. The bottom tier of this cabinet displays the nine objects selected by the projects blind/visually impaired co-creators. A large yellow interpretative panel hangings in a central position on the outside of this cabinet and is surrounded on each side by printed magnified images of the objects. Each sensory station contains is yellow with a blue seat. On it sits 3D printed replica objects of those displayed and brightly coloured box shaped devices which are connected to head phones, allowing visitors to access the recorded object audio descriptions. — Phase I of the Seeing Without Sight exhibition

View of phase II exhibition in a room with rich turquoise coloured walls. A large yellow panel with clear black text, hangs on one of these. There is a large perspex floor standing cabinet below it. It presents 6 of the objects selected by the projects co-creators along with their labels. Two sensory stations are located in front of this. These consist of yellow height adjustable tables for wheelchair access. 3D printed replicas for the objects in the case sit on these tables along with the coloured box shaped electronic devices and headphones which enable visitors to access the audio descriptions for the objects. There are also two booklets, one with large format labels and the other with braille labels. At a right angle to this display is another wall mounted case with three objects. Underneath it also has a sensory station with the sample components. — Seeing Without Sight Phase II exhibition

Background

The Seeing Without Sight: Multisensory exhibition was the main output from an eight month long series of audio description workshops. These aimed to increase access to and participation in the Hunt Museum’s Permanent Collection for people who are blind/visually impaired. With assistance from National Council for the Blind (now Vision Ireland), four co-creators, all with huge passion for art, culture and history, were located to participate in these workshops.

Each co-creator selected Hunt Museum objects based on their interests, which ranged from all things medieval, to Irish prehistoric archaeology to costume and jewellery. In the workshops, they explored these objects through touch and used the information gleaned from these tactile experiences to co-create written object descriptions for 35 objects with museum volunteers.

A blind co-creator interprets a large green statue through touch using her fingers and other senses — Aine Mae, a blind co-creator, explores the museum’s Olmec Man statue through touch.

Three project volunteers work with a visually impaired co-creator to write an audio description for a Sybil Connolly maquette which is made from pleated linen. They sit at a table and the maquette is located in the middle of it. The maquette is just over 1 foot tall. One of the volunteers is extended and hovering near the maquette as she talks about its detail. Another one of the volunteers is writing down notes on the discussion they are having. — Volunteers work with Hannah Keane, visually impaired co-creator, to develop an audio description for maquette ‘First Love’ by designer Sybil Connolly.

Funding was then secured from the Heritage Council’s ‘Community Grant Scheme’ enabling us to design an accessible exhibition, harnessing some of the audio description texts that had been delivered. This exhibition became known as Seeing Without Sight.

Co-creation of the exhibition

Co-creators selected three objects each for presentation in the exhibition. They received specific training in performance of audio description texts so that they could record and present these as the audio component in the exhibition.

Visually impaired co-creator standing right in front of a television displaying very large text. He is reading it. Some of the text is in red so that he knows where to change the intonation of his voice. — Co-creator recording an audio description for the exhibition

The objects selected by project co-curators were digitised in 3D. The Rapid Innovation Unit then 3D printed these files to produce object replicas which formed the tactile components of the exhibition.

Five of the 3D printed objects produced by the Rapid Innovation Unit — examples of the 3D printed object replicas produced by the Rapid Innovation Unit

Interpretative Elements

It was critical that all text based elements used in the Seeing Without Sight exhibition were accessible. The lived experience of our co-creators was particularly invaluable here. They co-designed the main interpretative panel ( located below) which was also screen reader accessible.

Main interpretative panel for the exhibition. It is yellow with black writing. It has a baboon, which was one of the objects presented in the exhibition. It is wearing a set of headphones and lightening bolts representing audio or sound emerge from them. Accessibility icons are used to denote that the exhibition has audio description, large format text and braille so is suitable for blind/visually impaired people

They provided guidance on font style and size required for this panel which measured 110cm h x 195cm w. To be viewable at 1 metre, the text size of the exhibition title was 10 – 12cm in height. The body text was 6cm in height.

Other guidance from our co-creators when developing this panel included:

Always use high colour contrast between text and background
Text needs to be left aligned and formatted with headings
Do not use BLOCK capitals. A screen reader does not recognise these.
Keep sentences short. Proper punctuation is essential.
NB to leave clear space between paragraphs
Placement of images can confuse screen reader technology. Best to add them at the start or end of text
Add ALT text for all images used
Best to avoid placing text over an image

Co-creators and volunteers developed the labels for the objects displayed in the exhibition. The font size used was 14 points and therefore larger than that typically used for labels in the Museum.

Booklets with large format arial text using 16 points were also delivered. Vision Ireland’s Library Service also produced these in braille.

Publicity materials

Co-creators also supported development of the screen reader accessible promotional flyer for the exhibition. Below is some basic guidance provided by co-creator Liam McLoughlin.

Detailed infogram by co-creator Liam McLoughlin providing do's and don'ts advice when producing flyers that are accessible for the blind and visually impaired community. The flyer is in the centre and features three images relating to objects in the exhibition. These are enclosed in a circular frame. It also features blocks of text. Pink arrows extend from each of the flyer's components to text located outside the flyer's surface area. These points advise using solid weighty text in bold to make it more visible, where to locate images so they do not interfere with the readers ability to read text etc. — Basic guidance on creating accessible promotional flyers

Liam also produced the highly insightful video below. In it he tests out an initial exhibition flyer design using screen reading technology.

Video feedback on stage 1 Seeing Without Sight flyer

Following the advice provided by Liam, the final flyer design was heavily simplified.

Seeing Without Sight exhibition flyer. It has a solid yellow background with bolded black text. In the top left hand corner, there is an image of a baboon wearing headphones. Sound or audio bolts emerge from them. The flyer also has accessibility symbols indicating that audio description, large format and braille is available in the exhibition. |Along the bottom of the flyer are a series of logos. — Phase II exhibition flyer

Public Engagement

The launch of the Seeing Without Sight exhibition on Saturday August 21, the first day of Heritage Week, was widely attended by co-creator friends and family.

Group photo of the Seeing Without Sight team, including co-creators, volunteers, staff. The yellow exhibition panel is clearly visible behind the group. — Group photo of the Seeing Without Sight team, including co-creators, volunteers, staff.

Two women are in this photo. One is visually impaired and uses her fingers to trace the designs and contours of a 3D printed comb. — A visually impaired exhibition visitor uses her fingers to read the intricate design using a 3D printed replica of an ivory comb featured in the exhibition

During both phases of the Seeing Without Sight exhibition visitors of all ages enjoyed the multisensory opportunities to learn about Hunt Museum objects however, it was particularly enjoyed by a range of disability groups. They travelled to the Museum from across the mid-west and beyond. Many thanks to Disability Services| HSE Mid West Community Healthcare, for sharing information with many of these groups.

Three wheelchair users enjoy the exhibition. The bright yellow sensory station table height has been adjusted to accommodate their wheelchairs. They listen to the audio descriptions while looking at the original objects in the display cases in front of them. — Service users from Avista (Sisters of Mercy) Annacotty visited the exhibition.

Three men sit at yellow topped tables on which there are 3D printed objects, brightly coloured boxes which are audio devices. These are connected to headphones which two of the men are wearing. They both reach forward placing a 3D objects on the box in front of them. This action triggers audio description. In the background, there is a third man. He has snow white hair and a long beard. He observes the two men. There is also a woman in the background and she is busy writing on a visitor comment card. — exhibition visitors with acquired brain injury from headway