Touch and Feel
Tactile expert Siddhant Shah dreams of an inclusive world with eyes wide open
WHEN HIS mother lost her sight partially in 2010, Siddhant Shah began
to wonder how she could see and enjoy the things she always loved —art galleries, museums and art. That is what motivated him to make the visually impaired experience what anyone else would in museums and art galleries through tactile interventions. And it is the smile on these people's face that drives the Mumbai-based artist who was in Chandigarh for an exhibition says, “Recently, a student, who is fascinated with tall objects, understood the scale of Twin Towers of Malaysia. After touching the tactile model, his lips did not stop punctuating for a long time. I knew immediately that I had succeeded, and not just in making him understand the height of the buildings,” says the 27-year-old.
The first Indian to win a scholarship to pursue a Master’s degree in Heritage Management from the University of Kent (Athens, Greece campus) in 2015, Shah talks to us about his long journey of sight and touch in India.
Tell us about the education and exposure in Greece – the mecca of heritage.
There was so much to the course than just classroom teaching and heritage jargon. The numerous trips to different heritage locations across that country opened my eyes to how the West ensured that nobody was left out when it came to appreciating their national treasures.
Do you feel India as a country is becoming more sensitive towards the needs of special individuals?
Well, I do not think anyone wants to cold shoulder or be rude towards those with special needs, but the problem is we do not know what to do. Precisely why there is a need to regularly conduct disability awareness and sensitisation workshops with schools, colleges and corporates.
In several countries, experts regularly visit schools to sensitise students towards those with special needs. How can the education system here play an important role?
It is like the case on the fire extinguisher—you have to hit the spray on the base of the fire. Do that on the top (of the fire), and nothing will be achieved. It is important that school children are taught to grow up as empathetic citizens. They are the ones who will be employees, employers and professionals, respecting and valuing the importance of social inclusion.
“The numerous trips to different heritage locations across Greece opened my eyes to how the West ensured that nobody was left out when it came to appreciating their national treasures"
Tell us about the project you undertook in Pakistan.
During the Commonwealth Association of Museums conference held in 2016 in Jaipur, the director of State Bank Museum of Pakistan, Karachi —Dr. Asma Ibrahim, saw the braille book, which I had designed for the Jaipur City Palace. It was during this event that this braille book with tactile images and large script font was launched. Dr. Ibrahim and I started discussing what could be done to make the museums accessible in Pakistan. That's when the idea took shape and we decided to create a similar braille book with tactile images for her museum. Since it was difficult for me to go there and the situations were inaccessible, she provided all the content to me over email, video calls and couriers. She left no stone unturned and this made things easier for us too.
What are you working on right now?
I am currently working on accessibility for third season of Serendipity Arts Festival. It is SENSES Take 3, besides providing consultation to Sahapedia for making heritage accessible to all.