Touch Tour for Blind or Visually Impaired Visitors

Through detailed descriptions, hands-on objects, and discussions about the relationship with the objects and culture, guide blind visitors through a rich tactile experience in the galleries. Select a few of the objects listed below; touching takes time and it is stressful to cover too much ground (galleries) in one tour. Select 2 galleries from the art work listed below. Go to the galleries and describe the space before you sit and begin handling objects. Once you pass out an object, describe the tiniest details and allow them time to touch quietly so they can process the tactile experience. Ask if they want you to help guide their hands. Let them ask questions. Find out what they are curious about. They will enjoy the textures, weight, stories behind the objects.

Visually Impaired visitors may wear latex gloves (available in the eduction office) and touch a few works of art.

Docents should bring the school tour bags of their choice up to the gallery and education staff will help place the objects from the office in the galleries.

Touchable objects:

Horses in front of the museum

Gallery 8 - Sounding sculpture

Gallery 12 - Pacific Island Tour Box - Hour glass drum, drum, Tekoteko (NZ figure), Nuzunuzu (Solomon island). Ku,

Hawaiian stick figure, Kapa, PNG ancestor figure

Gallery 16 - Asian Masterpieces school tour bag: Scroll, Ink block, ink stone, brush, chop, water dropper bottle

Japanese wood blocks (Block are in locker #21; the key is in the Asian Masterpieces bag)

Gallery 20 - Kamishibai school tour bag: Tea ceremony implements - ceramic tea bowl and box, tea scoop, tea whisk, tea caddy and box

Gallery 1 - Rodin's Age of Bronze, Hercules (single), Archimpinko's Golden Lady

Gallery 23 - Vishnu playing a flute, Indian masks from the Literature tour, bronze Shiva Nataraja and Ganesh from Education Offices

Gallery 25 - Indonesian Ganesh puppet from the Education offices