Nov. 5 Symposium Explores Accessibility in Archive and Museum Exhibits
Last June, WSU Libraries and the Washington State School for the Blind collaborated on an exhibit, a popup experience called “War of the Dots.” The exhibit’s goal was to engage blind and low-vision students in the history of tactile print, connecting accessibility challenges of the past with the present day.
Now, exhibit collaborators are organizing a Nov. 5 virtual event, “War of the Dots: A Symposium Exploring Accessibility in Archive and Museum Exhibits.” Set for 11 a.m., “War of the Dots” is free and open to the public; registration is requested. Once registered, attendees will receive an email with details on how to join the symposium via Zoom. For those unable to attend, the symposium will be recorded.
Presenters will reflect on the experience of creating the exhibit while considering accessibility for blind and low-vision audiences. They are:
- Mike Hudson has worked for the last 19 years as museum director at the American Printing House for the Blind in Louisville, Kentucky. He has a master’s degree in the history of technology from the University of Delaware.
- Scott McCallum is the superintendent for the Washington State School for the Blind. He has a master’s degree in orientation and mobility therapy from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry in Elkins Park.
- Talea Anderson is the WSU Libraries’ scholarly communication librarian. She holds master’s degrees in history and library and information science from Central Washington University and the University of Washington.
- Robert Schimelpfenig is the archivist for WSU Vancouver. He holds a doctorate in humanities from the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco.
“We’re excited to learn from organizations like APH that have worked to make this history accessible,” Anderson said. “The ‘War of the Dots’ reminds us how important it is to work in collaboration with disabled communities and to learn from those who have lived experiences different from our own.”
Hudson will ground the discussion in past debates about tactile print. In both the past and the present, the “War of the Dots” draws attention to the need for truly inclusive museums and cultural experiences. Hudson is also in a unique position to speak to this need as director of a reimagined museum for APH called The Dot Experience, set to open in 2026. Designed with an unprecedented set of applied inclusive design standards that puts disability access front and center, The Dot Experience aims to be the most accessible museum in the world, according to the APH website.
“Accessibility advocates and managers of historical collections find themselves in a natural bind,” Hudson said. “Curators are taught from birth not to allow touching, and people with disabilities find exhibits with traditional cases sterile and joyless. Bridging that gap is one of the big challenges we face.”
The exhibit and symposium are sponsored by the Rare Book School and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation as part of the Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship for Diversity, Inclusion, and Cultural Heritage. Anderson was named a fellow in 2022, using the three-year support to explore the history of tactile writing.