EASIT. Easy Access for Social Inclusion Training.
Unit 3B. Easy to understand and audio description.
Element 1: Processes.
Video sample: easy-to-understand art audio description.
This is Elisa Perego, from Università degli Studi di Trieste.
In this video sample,
I will focus on easy-to-understand audio description
in tactile exploration.
I'll rely on the words of Luca Grasso,
in charge of the Polo Tattile Multimediale
in Catania, a Multimodal Centre,
to show you the relationship
between touch, art and understanding.
Many museums offer the possibility
to touch their original items, or reproductions,
to enable blind or visually impaired people
to come across the visual
through a tactile experience.
Touch is crucial for experiencing the world,
and a source of information
for experiencing the beauty of objects,
when sight is missing.
Gaining information through touch is difficult,
especially if it is not trained.
As pointed out by Luca Grasso,
dealing with touch is difficult
for sighted people.
Sighted viewers prefer to see.
We make them visit our blind bar
so they can touch relief paintings,
which can put them off
because they are not used to that.
Sighted viewers prefer to use their sight.
If touch and sight go together, this is fine.
If touch
is not accompanied by sight,
it is difficut for sighted visitors to understand
the details of an item.
A human guide instructing the visitor
in the tactile exploration is decisive.
He/she grants the enjoyability
of the aptic experience.
Any tactile exploration or museum experience
must be adapted to the end-user.
Referring to the museum
he runs in Sicily,
Luca Grasso maintains that:
Based on the type of visitor,
we use a specific way of guiding them.
We adapt to their needs.
We cannot treat adults and children in the same way.
If the visitor has special needs,
we must meet them
and communicate adequately.
We need to adapt to the visitor.
We cannot talk to everyone
in the same way.
Simplifying the instructions to the tactile experience,
can be a step in the direction
of user-centeredness.
I will display an E2U version
of the core instructions, that can be included
in a recorded guide or in the script of a human guide
helping visitors enjoy a tactile experience.
I will use the bas-relief
of Atalanta and Hyppomenes,
the reproduction of the painting
by Guido Reni,
produced by the Tactile Museum Anteros.
The following is an E2U introduction
to a tactile experience of the painting.
This is a copy of Atalanta and Hyppomenes.
This copy is made of plaster.
Plaster is a smooth white material.
If you touch it,
you feel it is silky and not too cold.
Plaster is used for internal decorations.
You can touch the plaster copy of the painting.
If you touch the relief,
try and sit or stand comfortably.
Stretch your arms in front of you.
Check if you can touch the surface.
You can touch the copy on your own.
You can touch it while I guide you.
If I guide you, I have to touch your hands.
These were E2U instructions,
that can be offered to visitors,
irrespective of the item they explore.
Now we move to the real exploration.
The following are E2U instructions:
The copy is smaller than the original.
You can start touching.
First touch the perimeter,
the outer part of the painting.
Now move your hands towards the centre.
Make soft and light movements.
Use both hands.
Use your fingertips.
Now we see how to verbally guide the explorer
in recognizing details.
Use your left hand
to discover the body of Atalanta.
She is picking up a golden apple.
She uses her right arm to pick it up.
Use your right hand
to discover the body of Hippomenes.
He is running.
He is making an effort.
You can feel his tense muscles
touching his leg.
Directing the visitor
through a tactile experience in E2U language
can require time, patience
and experience on the part of the guide.
It is not easy to make this complex experience usable,
if the visitor’s sense of touch is not trained.
It can be rewarding and enriching in the end
irrespective of the ability or disability of the visitor.
The photographs and the videos used in this presentation
were taken by Elisa Perego. Their use is authorised.
Special thanks to Luca Grasso (Multimedia Centre in Catania)
and Chris Taylor (University of Trieste)
for their participation in the making of this video.
This video sample was prepared by Elisa Perego
and produced by Angelika De Marchis, Laura Marini
and Annalisa Navetta from the University of Trieste, Italy.
You can reach me at eperego@units.it