Accessibility at the museum

This publication is devised, so that people with or without impaired sight may explore Old Masters with all their senses, both alone and in conversation with others. It presents four masterpieces from the Picture Gallery in combination with stimulating visual, tactile and audio elements.

It comprises total views of the four compositions in colour-enhanced contrasts, transparent tactile foils, details of the paintings in graded outlines and descriptions of the composition in both clearly legible, large black-and-white script and Braille, offering a plethora of gateways to experience these two-dimensional artworks.

In addition, the book includes a CD in an easy-to-handle polybag comprising a classical audio file, and a second CD in Daisy format with additional information (duration c. 80 min.). The Museum Book is the only one of its kind in Austria.

The Kunsthistorisches Museum offers blind and visually-impaired visitors a new way to explore paintings. Until now, they could only experience the subject through an intensive dialogue with a companion. But specialized new technologies have transposed paintings into tactile reliefs, allowing visitors to actually feel the basic elements of the painted composition. These novel impressions are augmented by oral explanations provided by one of our educators. In addition, we offer a brochure in Braille that comprises both a description of the artwork written especially for the blind and the visually-impaired, and additional information on the respective artwork. Various objects connected in some way with the painting supply additional tactile stimulation, and further enhance these new impressions.

The project was generously supported by the Bundesministerium für Unterricht, Kunst und Kultur as part of its education initiative “Kulturvermittlung mit Schulen in Bundesmuseen 2010”; chaperoned by KulturKontakt Austria; and realized in connection with VRVis Zentrum für Virtual Reality und Visualisierung Forschungs GmbH.