Modigliani comes alive for visually impaired people
Posted on 25 September 2006
Designers in the Centre for Tactile Images in the University's Department of Computer Science have created a series of images of six key paintings by the Italian artist featured in an exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts in London.
The images appear in a tactile guide accompanied by audio descriptions of the paintings at the exhibition, which runs until 15 October.
We are thrilled to have worked on this project for the Royal Academy. It enables people with limited sight to experience and enjoy these stunning works of art.
Dawn Cliff, Head of Operations at the Centre for Tactile Images
Dawn Cliff, Head of Operations at the Centre for Tactile Images said; "We are thrilled to have worked on this project for the Royal Academy. It enables people with limited sight to experience and enjoy these stunning works of art. If a picture 'tells a thousand words' to a sighted person then so can a tactile picture for a visually disabled person.
"The experience of visiting an art gallery or museum is something that most sighted people take for granted. This is another step for visually impaired people towards greater independence. We are one of the few organisations that has the expertise or equipment to translate such visual information into a useful tactile form. "
According to the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB), almost two million people in the UK (1 in 30) are seriously visually disabled.
Notes to editors:
- The Centre for Tactile Images, based in the Computer Science Department, was set up in 2001 with the aim of tackling institutional barriers to change for visually impaired people by improving access to public facilities through the provision of tactile graphical materials. It also seeks to encourage public, voluntary and private institutions to become more responsive to the everyday needs of the visually impaired by enabling independent access to museums galleries and visitor attractions.
- The Centre is supported by a group of visually impaired people who test and evaluate the services.
- The University of York has an established record of research into computer interfaces for visually impaired users and in the use of a tactile dimension to the interaction.
- Website: www.cs.york.ac.uk/tactileimages