Talking Blind: Disability, Access, and the Discursive Turn

Abstract

The author describes two exhibits: Blind at the Museum at the Berkeley Art Museum in 2005, and What Can a Body Do?, at the Canter Fitzgerald Gallery at Haverford College in 2012.   She argues for inclusive design in the exhibits themselves, as well as what she calls the exhibit’s discursive elements--catalogues, docent tours, symposia, and websites--that not only extend the life of such exhibits but also expand access for attendees and others. 

Key words: Blind artists, inclusive design, accessible exhibit design, the discursive turn, the Berkeley Art Museum, the Canter Fitzgerald Gallery.