The Newcastle Art Gallery has introduced two accessibility-focused commissions as part of its expanded facility. The first initiative involves a digital guide named Nancy that provides audio, Auslan-interpreted video, and written descriptions for 24 stops throughout the ground floor collection. The second accessibility-focused feature is a series of architectural-scale sculptures by artist Fayen d’Evie that create a tactile veil around the original floating staircases, allowing visitors who are blind or have low vision to navigate the space safely while also offering braille and tactile versions of key artworks.
Newcastle Art Gallery Director Lauretta Morton shared: “From using an artistic and access-led solution to the physical challenge created by the space under the staircases for visitors who are blind or have low vision, to developing our first digital guide, which has already been accessed by more than 8,000 visitors, we are committed to collaborating with community members with lived experience to deliver better outcomes for everybody.”
Image Credit: Roni Bintang