Question for #blind and partially sighted folk on the fediverse:
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@DarkSheepArts I'm sighted enough to walk without a cane and don't use braille normally (thus quite bad at it), but not enough to see "regular" prints in general (like menus etc) Museums in dim lights is where I can more or less see what is being exhibited but none of the texts. I normally use the phone to take photos and zoom it or text to speech. If there's a QR code that sends me directly to the text then that's more convenient.
That's good to know. Someone else has said the same thing.
That would tie in with another project I'm doing already.
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@DarkSheepArts If you do end up going with Braille, keep in mind that English has two Braille grades. Most native speakers will use and prefer grade2, which introduces abbreviations for common English words, prefixes and suffixes, think "have", "would" or "ing". However, many foreign visitors, *even those who both know Braille and can speak English, may not actually know grade 2 English Braille*, and need grade 1, which has no such abbreviations.
In English-speaking countries, it's often assumed that what you want is grade2, but if the place has a lot of foreign visitors specifically, that may not always be the right choice.
Thank you! That's really good to know.
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@DarkSheepArts I remember visiting The Victor Hugo House, they have a braille+large print map of the museum and a braille+large print (huge) "booklet" in every room for the contents and that was very nice. (A bit clumsy to carry around but their exhibition is permanent so they can afford that better I guess.)
We're permanent too, so that would be doable.
I think Bletchley park in the UK has the same thing.
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That's really good to know, and it would link with another project I'm already doing.
There's the risk people will tour without coming in, but I'm happy to risk that. The building the museum is in is the big draw for what I do anyway, so our patrons still most likely want the experience of being here anyway.
@DarkSheepArts @jakobrosin Well I'm more than happy to help with sound design/audio work if need be.
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Question for #blind and partially sighted folk on the fediverse:
If you go to a museum or gallery, do you prefer braille or do you instead use a text to speech app?
(Or both, or something else)
I've got a bit of money to refurbish a small UK museum space with better provisions for Deaf and Blind folk, so I'm keen to know what will be the most useful.
Please Note: This is a question specifically for blind and partially sighted Fedi users, rather than fully sighted folk.
@DarkSheepArts First, as many explorable pieces as possible. You definitely want labels, but yes, for longer descriptions, you might want either some pre-recorded stuff, or some texts on say, a website, and have a giant QR code somewhere comfortable to find.
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Question for #blind and partially sighted folk on the fediverse:
If you go to a museum or gallery, do you prefer braille or do you instead use a text to speech app?
(Or both, or something else)
I've got a bit of money to refurbish a small UK museum space with better provisions for Deaf and Blind folk, so I'm keen to know what will be the most useful.
Please Note: This is a question specifically for blind and partially sighted Fedi users, rather than fully sighted folk.
@FreakyFwoof @DarkSheepArts Both, honestly. I like to know how things are spelled, and I've not used TTS apps enough to know if that functionality is there; for mapping I use an app, though, so if it's built into the TTS thing...
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Question for #blind and partially sighted folk on the fediverse:
If you go to a museum or gallery, do you prefer braille or do you instead use a text to speech app?
(Or both, or something else)
I've got a bit of money to refurbish a small UK museum space with better provisions for Deaf and Blind folk, so I'm keen to know what will be the most useful.
Please Note: This is a question specifically for blind and partially sighted Fedi users, rather than fully sighted folk.
@DarkSheepArts I appreciate having the opportunity to learn more because you asked the question. Thank you.
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Question for #blind and partially sighted folk on the fediverse:
If you go to a museum or gallery, do you prefer braille or do you instead use a text to speech app?
(Or both, or something else)
I've got a bit of money to refurbish a small UK museum space with better provisions for Deaf and Blind folk, so I'm keen to know what will be the most useful.
Please Note: This is a question specifically for blind and partially sighted Fedi users, rather than fully sighted folk.
@DarkSheepArts not just museums, but my wife will take a smartphone photo and zoom/pan to read that instead, it helps a lot.
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@DarkSheepArts My phone. I already have it with me. Maybe scan a QR, it opens up to an accessible web page with info on, whether that be audio files the user presses play on, or written text which then is spoken via the screen-reader. If you go the latter route, then anyone who does use Braille and happens to have a display with them, such as deafblind can use that.
@jakobrosin thoughts on this? I know you've done similar things.@Onj @DarkSheepArts @jakobrosin QR codes fixed in location have a big flaw, they are usually URLs, which require someone to pay to host the domain and site, ive seen several cases where an organisation forgets to renew the domain and someone else takes it over.
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@DarkSheepArts @SRLevine @pawpower
You might want to contact VocalEyes, they might be able to help you stretch your $$$.
https://vocaleyes.co.uk/services/museums-galleries-and-heritage/
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Question for #blind and partially sighted folk on the fediverse:
If you go to a museum or gallery, do you prefer braille or do you instead use a text to speech app?
(Or both, or something else)
I've got a bit of money to refurbish a small UK museum space with better provisions for Deaf and Blind folk, so I'm keen to know what will be the most useful.
Please Note: This is a question specifically for blind and partially sighted Fedi users, rather than fully sighted folk.
@DarkSheepArts Rab may be able to offer some input here @RabBrucesSpider1
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Question for #blind and partially sighted folk on the fediverse:
If you go to a museum or gallery, do you prefer braille or do you instead use a text to speech app?
(Or both, or something else)
I've got a bit of money to refurbish a small UK museum space with better provisions for Deaf and Blind folk, so I'm keen to know what will be the most useful.
Please Note: This is a question specifically for blind and partially sighted Fedi users, rather than fully sighted folk.
@DarkSheepArts I am deafblind and I always love it when museums have braille. Obviously audio is a very little used to me. It is especially cool if they have tactile drawings or models of the things they are showing.
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@DarkSheepArts I am deafblind and I always love it when museums have braille. Obviously audio is a very little used to me. It is especially cool if they have tactile drawings or models of the things they are showing.
That makes sense.
Tactile drawings and other things of the ilk are in the plan too - I don't know if you're in the US or UK, but I'm going to shamelessly steal all the good work that Bletchley Park have done in their new exhibits.
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@DarkSheepArts @SRLevine @pawpower
You might want to contact VocalEyes, they might be able to help you stretch your $$$.
https://vocaleyes.co.uk/services/museums-galleries-and-heritage/
@funguy2playwith @DarkSheepArts @SRLevine @pawpower seconded, VocalEyes are great
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That makes sense.
Tactile drawings and other things of the ilk are in the plan too - I don't know if you're in the US or UK, but I'm going to shamelessly steal all the good work that Bletchley Park have done in their new exhibits.
@DarkSheepArts Sadly, I am in the US, but I go to a lot of museums here because many of the larger ones also provide sign language interpretation. Last year I was at the intrepid sea air and space Museum in Manhattan and they had models of many of the things and that was really cool.
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Question for #blind and partially sighted folk on the fediverse:
If you go to a museum or gallery, do you prefer braille or do you instead use a text to speech app?
(Or both, or something else)
I've got a bit of money to refurbish a small UK museum space with better provisions for Deaf and Blind folk, so I'm keen to know what will be the most useful.
Please Note: This is a question specifically for blind and partially sighted Fedi users, rather than fully sighted folk.
@DarkSheepArts @sbourne I like the audio component when it’s available. Biltmore was cool, because they had this receiver into which you entered the number accompanying each exhibit and would hear an explanation about it. Braille is neat when they have it, but it takes longer to read and ou can sometimes have folk start to stack up behind you
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Question for #blind and partially sighted folk on the fediverse:
If you go to a museum or gallery, do you prefer braille or do you instead use a text to speech app?
(Or both, or something else)
I've got a bit of money to refurbish a small UK museum space with better provisions for Deaf and Blind folk, so I'm keen to know what will be the most useful.
Please Note: This is a question specifically for blind and partially sighted Fedi users, rather than fully sighted folk.
@DarkSheepArts Linking to an accessible companion guide on a site might be a better shout than braille. That would be easier to produce, easier to update, definitely cheaper to maintain and most importantly, it places the choice of how to consume that with each person who wants to read it. EG, I'm totally blind here, learned braille so young that I can't even remember not knowing it, but there are boatloads of blind/VI folk who lose sight later in life and never get that opportunity. IMO audio is a really nice to have extra if you can get it done within budget, but deafblind folk get the soggy end of the stick so often, I reckon I'd try to offset that a bit by commissioning a good writer over a sound designer if I were in your shoes.
BTW I live in London and my partner bloody loves a museum/exhibit. Would be happy to come and poke around ideas in progress. Holler whenever you've got something if that might help.
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Question for #blind and partially sighted folk on the fediverse:
If you go to a museum or gallery, do you prefer braille or do you instead use a text to speech app?
(Or both, or something else)
I've got a bit of money to refurbish a small UK museum space with better provisions for Deaf and Blind folk, so I'm keen to know what will be the most useful.
Please Note: This is a question specifically for blind and partially sighted Fedi users, rather than fully sighted folk.
@DarkSheepArts ~ I am partially sighted and not yet schooled on braille. I think both would be appropriate.
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Question for #blind and partially sighted folk on the fediverse:
If you go to a museum or gallery, do you prefer braille or do you instead use a text to speech app?
(Or both, or something else)
I've got a bit of money to refurbish a small UK museum space with better provisions for Deaf and Blind folk, so I'm keen to know what will be the most useful.
Please Note: This is a question specifically for blind and partially sighted Fedi users, rather than fully sighted folk.
@DarkSheepArts
VIsually impaired (keratoconus) and not totally blind speaking here.
Start by making sure any printed displays, labels, and explanations themselves are designed to maximize who can read them: good contrast, large & simple fonts - all the basic stuff of document accessibility.
For me, any of the "apps" stuff is a non-starter since I can't easily work most "just download this app" stuff because it's too small and not accessible itself. I'd never get the app to work. -
Question for #blind and partially sighted folk on the fediverse:
If you go to a museum or gallery, do you prefer braille or do you instead use a text to speech app?
(Or both, or something else)
I've got a bit of money to refurbish a small UK museum space with better provisions for Deaf and Blind folk, so I'm keen to know what will be the most useful.
Please Note: This is a question specifically for blind and partially sighted Fedi users, rather than fully sighted folk.
@DarkSheepArts my eyesight is on the way out with quite startling speed, so I’m already leaning quite heavily on text to speech, because I’m a single mum and I’m daunted by how slow it will be to learn braille. I also have reduced sensation in my fingers from years of being a musician. But it probably has a relationship with my ADHD and auditory processing delay, too. So it’s probably important to mention that.
