LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Since breaking ground about six months ago, The American Printing House for the Blind has made significant progress on "The Dot Experience."
The project, focused on the history and experiences of people who are blind or low vision, aims to overhaul standard museum structure by being completely accessible and inclusive. It will step into the place of APH's existing museum on Frankfort Avenue.
Right now, APH is in the process of designing exhibits, making sure people who are blind or low vision have "wow" moments when visiting.
The team has enlisted the help of downtown Louisville's Solid Light, which creates exhibits for museums across the country. Solid Light creative director Ben Jett said one of the key steps is creating physical museum pieces people can touch, like a replication of a scroll owned by Helen Keller.
“We knew that we had to think about a lot of what we do the same, but a lot of what we do differently," he said. “What we did from the beginning which was shake hands with the idea that accessibility was the lead principle of this project.”
Solid Light will also help the museum with things like layout, speaker systems, graphics and captioning.
Micheal Hudson, APH's museum director, said the Dot Experience aims to be a reimagining of what a museum can and should be.
Hudson said the museum will feature three main stories; one about how people who are blind or low vision live their lives, another about the life and legacy if Helen Keller, and a third about innovation through history that has helped people who are blind.
"How do we create these moments where you are in touch with history?" he said.
Hudson noted that many museums and public spaces build in accessibility after the fact.
"They would try to do one picture, one object, a token thing, so that they could say 'hey, we're trying'" he said.
The Dot Experience, on the other hand, will be built specifically with people who are blind or low vision in mind.
"No one is doing that and that's what makes this whole project revolutionary," Hudson said.
Right now, APH and Solid Light are in the process of testing their prototypes and layouts for the project.
Scott Spaulding is part of the group helping with that phase, by feeling and listening in ways other museums haven't offered him in the past, and offering feedback about what might work best.
"Most museums you can't really get close and examine things by touch," he said. "I think it's going to be very enlightening."
Construction at APH's space on Frankfort Avenue started about six months ago.
Behind the fences and equipment, Hudson said APH's work -- creating new tools for accessibility -- grinds on.
"Technology changes lives of people who are blind every day," he said. "For instance one of the things we're developing is the Monarch, The Monarch is a full page refreshable Braille display so instead of carrying around a stack of 20 Braille books, you've got all of your Braille on one device.
When its finished, he hopes the Dot Experience will tell the story of how far that work has come, helping people change their perspective and get in touch with the world around them.
The Dot Experience is set to open in 2025.
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