Illustrating the invisible : towards an inclusive society for blind and partially sighted

Černe Oven, Petra (editor), Gorišek, Žiga (photographer), Neubauer, Nik Erik (photographer)

The monograph "Illustrating the Invisible: Design for an Inclusive Society" marks a new and extremely important step in the integration of scientific and artistic research within the framework of the Visual Literacy research programme, which is run and implemented at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design, University of Ljubljana. It focuses on design in an interdisciplinary consortium as a field that not only connects, but also sees and hears all stakeholders in the process with subtlety and a high degree of empathy. In other words, this study and research project reaffrms the thought of designer Victor Papanek, who argued that if we want to codesign an inclusive society, we must first of all see all those who are most often overlooked and then intentionally design for them. In fact, by designing for them, we are actually designing for everyone. The detailed research results presented in this publication show a remarkable level of insight, commitment, and an incredible desire to explore and to create new knowledge and potentially shape a new approach in the largely overlooked field of visualization for people with visual impairments. What's more, the project clearly demonstrates that visualization is just as important for people with visual impairments as it is for the rest of us sighted people. An additional contribution of this monograph is that, besides having participated in two texts, blind and partially sighted people have also actively participated in the development, testing and evaluation of the resulting works. In other words, we are witnessing the most beautiful interplay between science and art, and science and design. This interplay is a prerequisite for understanding the world, anticipating different needs and . This interplay is a prerequisite for understanding the world, anticipating different needs and being able to work together with a purpose and desire to solve problems.

• Language: English
• Keywords: visual literacy, design, inclusive design, scientific illustration, partially sighted, blind, inclusive society
• Work type: Proceedings
• Typology: 2.01 - Scientific Monograph
• Organization: ALUO - Academy of Fine Arts and Design
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Place of publishing: Ljubljana
• Publisher: University of Ljubljana Press
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: 1 spletni vir (1 datoteka PDF (269 str.))
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-169977
• ISBN: 978-961-297-592-0
• UDC: 376-056.262:7.01(082)(0.034.2)
• DOI: 10.51938/9789612975920
• COBISS.SI-ID: 236601859
• Publication date in RUL: 30.06.2025

Licences

• License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
• Description: This Creative Commons license is very similar to the regular Attribution license, but requires the release of all derivative works under this same license.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian

Abstract

Monografija raziskuje pomen inkluzivnega oblikovanja, s posebnim poudarkom na dostopnosti znanstvene ilustracije za slepe in slabovidne. Knjiga preučuje hegemonijo vida v zahodni družbi in potrebo po raziskovanju načinov prevajanja vizualnih vsebin za osebe z okvarami vida. Poseben poudarek je namenjen zgodovinski povezavi z mednarodnimi poletnimi delavnicami Kaverljag (1998–2012), ki so predstavljale temelj za nadaljnje raziskovanje v letu 2024. Avtorji se dotaknejo pozitivnih pedagoških vidikov intenzivnega, osredotočenega poučevanja v formatu mednarodnih poletnih šol ter pomena razvijanja empatije pri oblikovalcih, ki je ključna za vključujoče, univerzalno in uporabniku prilagojeno oblikovanje. Osrednja tema monografije je analiza metod in procesov ustvarjanja taktilnih gradiv za slepe in slabovidne, s posebnim poudarkom na izdelavi znanstvenih ilustracij morskih organizmov z uporabo 3D-tiska. Ta tehnologija omogoča sistematično oblikovanje finančno dostopnih in kakovostnih učnih pripomočkov. V raziskavi so sodelovali strokovnjaki z različnih področij – tiflopedagogike, biologije, znanstvene ilustracije in oblikovanja – ki poudarjajo pomen interdisciplinarnega sodelovanja med strokami in uporabniki in med znanostjo in umetnostjo. Knjiga zato vključuje tudi prvoosebne izkušnje slepih in slabovidnih ter njihova pričakovanja glede dostopnega oblikovanja. Prispevki v monografiji opozarjajo na pomen socialne vključenosti in prikazujejo, kako lahko premišljeno oblikovanje izboljša kakovost življenja. Poleg praktičnih vidikov – kot so opisi procesov, analiza rezultatov in primeri dobrih praks – znanstvena monografija ponuja tudi teoretične analize znanstvene ilustracije in oblikovanja za slepe in slabovidne ter podaja priporočila za nadaljnje delo na tem področju. Cilj monografije je spodbuditi razpravo o vizualni pismenosti in inkluzivnem oblikovanju ter prispevati k razvoju novih projektov za slepe in slabovidne, s čimer bi jim preko izboljšane dostopnosti informacij omogočili enakovredno sodelovanje v družbi.

• Keywords: vizualna pismenost, oblikovanje, inkluzivno oblikovanje, znanstvena ilustracija, slabovidni, teorija oblikovanja

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P5-0452
• Name: Vizualna pismenost