Mural Accessibility Project

Infographic reading: 'VocalEye Crowder, Ithaca, NY Edition' in the center; the text is black and is shown over a pale blue paint swatch. The left side of the graphic contains a pale blue paint splotch with the words 'Make public art accessible!' which is also superimposed above an Ithaca Murals logo (golden spray paint canister and paint can with a dark green and yellow radial sunburst background). The right side of the graphic contains a signpost with unlabeled green street signs and black signs with white arrows on them.
Description: Infographic reading: 'VocalEye Crowder, Ithaca, NY Edition' in the center; the text is black and is shown over a pale blue paint swatch. The left side of the graphic contains a pale blue paint splotch with the words 'Make public art accessible!' which is also superimposed above an Ithaca Murals logo (golden spray paint canister and paint can with a dark green and yellow radial sunburst background). The right side of the graphic contains a signpost with unlabeled green street signs and black signs with white arrows on them.

Though public art is intended to be accessible to all, it is largely inaccessible to blind and low vision (BLV) people in the absence of visual descriptions. Some organizations have begun tackling this issue; for example, VocalEye is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing greater access to theater, arts, and cultural events for BLV people of all ages. Starting in the summer of 2022, VocalEye organized multiple crowdsourcing initiatives, dubbed "Crowders," to encourage the public to submit descriptions of murals for Vancouver's Mural Festival. Inspired by my participation in their prior Crowders, in November 2022, I initiated a project to extend VocalEye's mural accessibility crowdsourcing efforts, previously only conducted in Canada. In collaboration with Ithaca Murals, a non-profit art and activism organization, we engaged both BLV and sighted people in this crowdsourced urban accessibility effort.

I am incredibly grateful to have worked with VocalEye and Ithaca Murals to bring the first-ever Satellite Crowder to life! From receiving 100+ descriptions, to hosting in-person tours, this entire project was a beautiful celebration of Ithaca's art, artists, and advocacy.

Photos

Six mural tour attendees wearing colorful rain jackets reach out to feel the textured tiles near the bottom of a large mosaic. Their backs are to the camera. The mosaic is called 'Feels Like Home - Spirit of Ithaca' and was created by Annemarie Zwack. The mosiac shows a sunset scene with a child planting seeds on the left, a woman carrying a bushel of tomatoes on the right, and three canoers in the background. The tiles on the mosaic are different sizes, shapes, and textures; towards the bottom there are large ceramic tiles with a ripple texture, whereas the sky and water are composed of small, smooth tiles. The tomatoes in the bushel are also three-dimensional.
Description: Six mural tour attendees wearing colorful rain jackets reach out to feel the textured tiles near the bottom of a large mosaic. Their backs are to the camera. The mosaic is called 'Feels Like Home - Spirit of Ithaca' and was created by Annemarie Zwack. The mosiac shows a sunset scene with a child planting seeds on the left, a woman carrying a bushel of tomatoes on the right, and three canoers in the background. The tiles on the mosaic are different sizes, shapes, and textures; towards the bottom there are large ceramic tiles with a ripple texture, whereas the sky and water are composed of small, smooth tiles. The tomatoes in the bushel are also three-dimensional.
Seven mural tour attendees stand facing a mural with their backs to the camera. The mural is called 'Welcome to Downtown Ithaca' and was painted by Kaitlyn Cronin. The mural shows a large, vibrant sunset over Taughannock Falls (a tall, thin waterfall) with abstract flowers on the left and larger-than-life monarch butterflies flying upwards on the right. The mural says 'Welcome to Downtown' in an arc and 'Ithaca' below it. Lucy stands in front of the mural, reading a description.
Description: Seven mural tour attendees stand facing a mural with their backs to the camera. The mural is called 'Welcome to Downtown Ithaca' and was painted by Kaitlyn Cronin. The mural shows a large, vibrant sunset with a transparent and stylized mandela, over Taughannock Falls (a tall, thin waterfall) with abstract flowers on the left and larger-than-life monarch butterflies flying upwards on the right. On top of the sunset part of the mural, purple text reads 'Welcome to Downtown' in an arc and 'Ithaca' in all capital letters below it. Lucy stands in front of the mural, reading a description.

Ten mural tour attendees are gathered in a circle around the 'Child of Ithaca' sculpture. The group is facing the camera and the back of the sculpture is shown. The sculpture is a life-size bronze sculpture of a young woman with shoulder-length hair sitting at a table, with a coffee cup in her right hand and an open book before her. There is another chair opposite from the woman. The sculpture has a green patina over its entire surface; only the seat across from the woman retains its bronze color. One attendee is a wheelchair user and one holds a white cane. Lucy stands by the empty chair in the sculpture, holding an umbrella and reading out a description from her phone.
Description: Ten mural tour attendees are gathered in a circle around the 'Child of Ithaca' sculpture. The group is facing the camera and the back of the sculpture is shown. The sculpture is a life-size bronze sculpture of a young woman with shoulder-length hair sitting at a table, with a coffee cup in her right hand and an open book before her. There is another chair opposite from the woman. The sculpture has a green patina over its entire surface; only the seat across from the woman retains its bronze color. One attendee is a wheelchair user and one holds a white cane. Lucy stands by the empty chair in the sculpture, holding an umbrella and reading out a description from her phone.
Ten mural tour attendees stand with their backs to the camera, across the street from the 'Youth Farm Project' mural. The mural is a large piece approximately one story tall and two car-lengths wide, and was painted by Efren Rebugio and Brittany Johnson. At the top left, orange and yellow text reads 'Youth Farm Project'. From left to right, there are three people of color farming: a woman with an orange and red fro-hawk collects wildflowers, a woman with a fluffy afro gathers chard, and a man holds a chicken in his hands. Caleb, a white person with short hair wearing a leather jacket, speaks in front of the group.
Description: Ten mural tour attendees stand with their backs to the camera, across the street from the 'Youth Farm Project' mural. The mural is a large piece approximately one story tall and two car-lengths wide, and was painted by Efren Rebugio and Brittany Johnson. At the top left, orange and yellow text reads 'Youth Farm Project'. From left to right, there are three people of color farming: a woman with an orange and red fro-hawk collects wildflowers, a woman with a fluffy afro gathers chard, and a man holds a chicken in his hands. Caleb, a white person with short hair wearing a leather jacket, speaks in front of the group.


Links

VocalEye Crowder: Ithaca, NY Edition [Website]

Article in Ithaca Week [Website]

Video in Ithaca Week [YouTube]

VocalEye Almost Live #142 [YouTube]
Ithaca Mural Crowder Highlights

Quick Statistics

Number of descriptions: 113

Works of art described: 14

Participants (across the U.S. and Canada): 25

In-person tour participants: ~ 25

Get in touch!

If you're interested in digital information accessibility, specifically regarding subjective sources (images, videos, etc.), please reach out – I'd love to chat!

lucjia@cs.cornell.edu

@LucyAJiang