Art for the Blind in New York City

How does a blind person experience visual art? Since art is absolutely necessary for us all as humans, it only makes sense that the great temple of art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, makes its art collection available to the blind and visually impaired.

There are several ways The Met makes art accessible to even the blind. First, since not all blind people are completely unable to see, they have guides available in large print and some exhibitions have labels in Large Print as well.

The Met also makes available a verbal imaging tour whereby a docent gives a tour that literally describes the color, content, and composition of a work. The artwork is made alive and real through the listener's imagination and the docent’s keen description. [This is also a great assignment for new art students. Get them to describe a work of art as if to a blind person. It teaches visual and verbal analysis.]

There are also several museum tours whereby the blind and/or visually impaired can actually touch some of the works, most notably in the Ancient Egypt collection. From the website, "Visitors who are blind or partially sighted are invited to touch these sculptures of pharaohs, gods, and goddesses. Visitors may take the tour independently." Since it is usually quite taboo to touch anything in a museum, (the touch and oil of hands will eventually erode anything), this is a great program. The museum also utilizes plaster cast

reproductions that can be experienced tactilely by the blind. There is also an American Ornament tour that highlights American architecture and the decorative arts.

A children's book, Art & The Alphabet: A Tactile Experience, uses color reproductions, large print, Braille, and tactile pictures to introduce masterpieces from the museum's collection. (There are a limited amount of copies available for free to teachers of the blind or partially sighted, or you may purchase this book for $50.)

It should be further noted that an audio guide tour is available for the blind and sighted alike. There are also transcripts of all audio tours available in large print. The Met welcomes any service animal or guide dog, and admission is free to the blind, seeing impaired, hard of hearing, or deaf.

The Met also has special programs available for visitors with mobility impairments, the deaf, hard of hearing, learning and developmentally disabled, and for groups of visitors with disabilities. There are also offsite programs offered in all 5 boroughs of New York City that include a follow-up tour back at the Met.

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