“Just Because a man lacks the use of his eyes, doesn’t mean that he lacks vision”. Stevie Wonder, [it’s OK to be different month] (Wilbern and Wonder, 2014)
This dissertation explores the traditional link between photography and sight. It examines how photography can be adapted for individuals with visual impairment (V.I.) and how, through photography, individuals can achieve a sense of self-understanding and increase their sense of well-being and belonging.While the sighted view may be the dominant view, this dissertation argues that V.I. offers a unique perspective on the world.
Photography empowers individuals with V.I. in several ways, smartphone technology when combined with audio descriptions, can act as a digital “seeing eye” for things such as navigation. Additionally, art galleries can utilise this alongside QR codes to encourage and enhance visually impaired visitors, thus making art more accessible.
This research helps to show how a more inclusive future in visual art may be reached, where photography empowers those with visual impairment to not only experience the world in which they live but to also shape that world and choose how others may experience the visually impaired world.
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