A new initiative in the Chilean capital of Santiago is making some of the city’s dramatic street murals accessible to visually disabled people.
The “Hand on the Wall” project places a plaque with a raised reproduction of six murals in front of the works, combined with a description in Braille and an audioguide available through a phone app.
Pamela Aquino, 27, said that the multimedia approach allows her to experience the art in a way that had been unimaginable to her because of her low vision.
“This, to me, opens a new world to me, one which I didn’t know and had been isolated from. To be able to touch and feel what is on the mural! I couldn’t do that before but now when I touch it, it is like it is inviting me to know so much. It was very emotional for me,” she said.
Located in the tourist neighborhood of Barrio Bellas Artes y Lastarria, “Hand on the Wall” will offer guided tours for the public this summer.
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