AWARD YEAR
2017
CATEGORY
Community
GOALS
Reduced Inequality
KEYWORDS
social issues, communication, access
COUNTRY
United States of America
DESIGNED BY
Neeta Verma is an Associate Professor in Visual Communication Design at the University of Notre Dame and a graphic designer with 25 years of practice working exclusively for not-for-profits, museums and cultural institutions. She has worked with clients in India, New York (US) and New Mexico (US). She currently teaches a course titled, Social Design: Initiatives, Challenges & Innovation and views the profession of graphic design as service and collaboration.
WEBSITE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uH3LqZyQtOY
inSIGHTs: Instrumenting conducive environments for the visually impaired
Creating a conducive environment through accessibility and way-finding for the visually impaired.
I entered the lush green, grounds of the school and immediately felt my skin cool off from the hot Indian sun. I saw Ashwini waiting for me. As I walked up, her hands reached out to touch my face. She felt the smile on my face and I saw hers break into an even bigger one...Ashwini is blind.
The aim of the project was to address the problem of accessibility for the students at the Poona School for Blind Girls in India, to make the immediate environment more conducive. The project was a collaborative effort where, I partnered with the teachers, students and administration to create a way-finding system that worked at many levels; primarily for the visually impaired but also for the sighted teachers and visitors. This community involvement created a sense of ownership and shared joy of creation. Once installed, the highly tactile (for the blind) and brightly colored (for the partially blind) way-finding system created an empowered and accessible environment that was kinder and gentler.