A new exhibit at the Iowa Department for the Blind aims to open the night sky and the spectacle of distant stars, galaxies and colorful nebulas to blind, low-vision, and sighted visitors alike.
Denise Bean, youth services librarian at the agency’s Des Moines office, says this traveling exhibit features gorgeous photographs from the James Webb Space Telescope and renderings of those images in three-foot-wide tactile displays.
“You reach down and you touch and you explore with your fingers,” Bean says. “It’s not smooth, it’s not flat, it’s not one-dimensional. It’s actually surfaces that are raised, lowered, textured, and when you touch it, it’s like no other sensation.”
The traveling exhibit opened in central Iowa this week and Bean says visitors are absorbing the awe-inspiring mysteries of deep space through touch, sound, and interactive learning. She recalls one particular visitor:
“He was a little boy that was blind and he started touching-experiencing it, and his reaction was thrilling to see,” Bean says. “He really was very interested because the audio voice that spoke was very detailed and easy to listen to and so completely informative.”
There are also in-depth explanations of each photo in large-print and in Braille, which Bean says makes the exhibit accessible to anyone — and any age.
“Not only do they learn about space but they get to be a part of it,” Bean says. “There’s different activities that are featured within the exhibit. There’s even an area for children if they want to get playful and pretend like they’re astronauts and take photographs.”
The Iowa Library for the Blind and Print Disabled is located in downtown Des Moines. For details on the exhibit’s hours though December, visit THIS WEBSITE.
