See, Touch, Understand
Jin Ju Han
Braille is not only a language for the blind to read and write, but also a way to gain more independence. Due to a lack of teachers in braille education and a dependence on audio technologies, braille education does not get enough support from the public.
The New York City subway is a site where people are disconnected from the outside with the accessibility for the blind. New Yorkers commute from other boroughs to Manhattan. While the MTA recently allowed WIFI in all stations, people still can’t use their phones when in transit because of weak cell signals. Some stations have complicated access to platforms for transfers. Even people with vision find it difficult to locate platforms in these stations. It is extremely challenging to navigate these systems when visually-impaired.
See, Touch, Understand is a campaign to raise awareness for the visually-impaired by creating an experience of blindness. This campaign aims to raise awareness of the visually-impaired and the importance of braille. The interventions, experiences, and interactions occur through tactile dots that form braille. The key message of this campaign is “See, Touch, Understand.” See what visually-impaired people are seeing. Sheets of die cut of braille attach to the subway windows, limiting the sight of people in the subway. People can access to the information of stations only through the cutout braille. Users touch braille through tactile wayfinding and ads to obtain information. By doing so, they understand what it is like to be visually-impaired and understand the importance of braille.