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Dear Mr. Andrews,<br><br>
I recently met Stuart Prost and his wife Debra, and may be doing a
presentation on the Tactile tour at your meeting on the 15th of
August. I have to confirm that with him.<br><br>
I have designed and developed a financially feasible Tactile Tour for
Museums and thought I should share it with your group.<br><br>
This project has encouraged museums to include docent led tactile
tours for persons who are blind or have low vision in several local
museums and those around the county and Canada. While meeting the
requirement of Title III of the ADA for equal program access, it will
enable people who are often neglected in the aesthetic experience, enjoy
art on a very personal level.<br><br>
I am so pleased to announce that art venues in Virginia Beach, Norfolk,
and Williamsburg will have Tactile Programs this October to celebrate
National <br>
Disabilities Awareness Month and Art Beyond Sight Awareness
Month.<br><br>
Among these sites are:<br><br>
* The Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk<br>
<br>
* The Norfolk University Center of African Art <br><br>
* The Baron and Ellin Gordon Art Galleries at Old Dominion
University. <br><br>
* The Contemporary Art Center of Virginia, <br><br>
* The Muscarelle Museum of Art, College of William and Mary - where I am
a <br>
docent. <br><br>
* The Bayside Library in Virginia Beach – coordinating with local
schools, will offer tactile sculptures around the facility and will then
have selected pieces for permanent display. Their Special Services
will be doing our Braille and audio descriptions for all of the
venues.<br><br>
* The Virginia Zoo will have tactile handouts for at least one of their
exhibits.<br><br>
The Chrysler, Muscarelle and the ODU gallery are planning to have
permanent tactile tours. <br><br>
In addition, the Ceramics, Woodcarving & Woodworking classes,
at the The Norfolk Senior Center –( PrimePlus) – will be doing work in
different mediums and display their tactile piece with Braille
descriptions on view for the month.<br><br>
I noted that the Contemporary Art Center of Virginia, Virginia
Beach is listed the Art Beyond Sight Website Calendar. They will be
using my docent tour pamphlet to train their docents and I will be doing
their graphics.<br><br>
I have asked Art Beyond Sight at
<coordinator@artbeyondsight.org> to list these sites on the
calendar website for the month of October and hope it will be done in
time to advertise it properly. I would appreciate any assistance
from you office to make this happen. <br><br>
Thank you very much. Looking forward to meeting with your group
shortly,<br><br>
Shirley<br><br>
Shirley Confino-Rehder cid, affil aia<br>
<a href="http://www.univdesign.com/" eudora="autourl">
www.univdesign.com<br>
</a>Chair, Norfolk Mayor's Commission for Persons with Disabilities <br>
Chair, South Hampton Roads Disability Services Board<br>
757 625-0969 office<br>
757 513-4880 mobile<br>
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