Geology for the Visually Handicapped
A Tactile Exhibition for Blind and Partially Sighted People, organised by Howard Mendel, was held at Ipswich Museum in October 1981, as a contribution to the year of the Disabled Person, 1981.
Response to the 1981 exhibition was so good that a similar event, called ‘A Touch of Museum’ was held in October 1982, with extra days for teachers.
A variety of specimens were selected from the collections. They were chosen for their textures, shape and smell so that they could be fully appreciated by the visually handicapped.
Blind and partially sighted visitors and their friends were encouraged to handle the objects which were labelled both in braille and heavy type (heavy black capitals, 4 inch writing).
The exhibition was held in the Lecture Room, not in a public gallery, in order to give a small, intimate and discrete location. The general public were not admitted, it not being regarded as a spectator event. Some visitors were elderly and infirm, and were seated whilst handling objects.
Total visitor figure (1981) was nearly 150, including helpers. Individuals and small groups both appreciated the event. Parties of people from blind associations in Suffolk visited the event. A mother and a blind teenager from Middlesex were visitors to Ipswich and to the exhibition. Guide dogs were welcome.
To help those partially sighted, the edges of the steps into the Museum were painted white, with water-based emulsion or distemper. People arranging the exhibition blindfolded themselves in order to find out how to use it.
Handling of course increases wear on specimens. Extending this to visitors with good sight would reduce the possibility of offering this chance to those who can only experience rarer items in this way.
The Social Services Department, various Societies and Associations, and Talking Newspapers all helped in different ways.
The following gives an indication of the layout, albeit flat, of a braille label. The originals were kindly typed for us by a lady with a braille typewriter.
The label reads
Dinosaur footprint. Sandstone infilling of footprint. The toe casts stand proud of the rock.
A query after further information (in Geologists’ Association Circular 890) brought me a letter from Miss. J. Emmoth of Sheffield (whose family were of Ipswich origin). She taught young blind children for a number of years and shared her enthusiasm for geology with them. She mentioned the sensitivity of fingers to varying textures, comparing densities, and the sound (the ‘ring’) of tapped specimens as successful methods of study.
In the 1990’s much geological work for the visually handicapped was carried out by Bristol University Extra Mural Department and Peter Hardy (see bibliography). At one Geologists’ Association meeting Peter Hardy put on show the Braille-style booklets and charts which had been devised to back up the course he gave.
Further reading –
Whitaker, J.H.M. 1966. ‘Geology for the Blind’. Museums Journal, 65, 299-300.
Cooper, John and Jean. 1991. ‘Feely Fossils for the Blind’. List of Fossils used at the Guide dogs for the Blind’ Association Diamond Jubilee Fete, Chilham 1991.
Hardy, P. 1991. ‘Geology for the Visually Impaired’.Geologists’ Association Circular 889, page 15.
Markham, R. 1992. ‘A Touch of Museum, Ipswich Museum’s Tactile Exhibition for the Visually Handicapped’. Geologists’ Association Circular 890. pp 10, 11..
Hardy, P. 1993. ‘Geology for the Blind’. Geologists’ Association Circular.
Hardy, P. 1996. ‘Summer School for the Blind and Visually Impaired 1996’.
Geologists’ Association Circular 919, pp. 7, 8.
I offer the following, without comment –
P.S. in Suffolk Mercury, 11 March 1983 : ….. rarities such as the little ringed plover which nested in 21 active gravel pits in 1980 in spite of the noise and disturbance arising from excavating, processing and transporting the gravel; incidentally, it seems a pity that restored sites are not so attractive to these comparatively rare birds.
A.G. In East Anglian Daily Times (EADT), 14 October 1986 : …… the recent unearthing of the mammoth bones, the estimated age being given as 50,000 years. As we are now coming up to 2,000 years AD and creation was only some 4,000 years BC, this estimate seems way out and would be more like 6,000 years, supposing the animal was one of those which perished in the Great Flood.
D.N. in E.A.D.T. 13 November 1987 : …… an underground tunnel leading from the Angel Hotel in Saxmundham to Leiston Abbey. From correspondents I learned that the tunnel also extended in the opposite direction to Framlingham. Mr. P. has found they lie almost uniformly 26 feet deep avoiding rivers and streams. These underground routes were of proportions to allow a horse drawn trap to proceed.
D.W. and G.C. in Sunday Times, 18 June 1989 : …… Southwold beach is mostly shingle, segmented by wooden groynes to keep it from drifting up to Great Yarmouth.
G.S. in EADT, 16 September 1989 : …… With reference to the recent spate of accidents on the A140, it could be that people who have the ability to dowse might well be suddenly influenced to swing the steering wheel, unaware of the effects of passing over an underground stream of water.
RR in EADT, 21 September 1990 : …… moving by stages through the sedentary rocks of Ipswich.
JRG in EADT, 28 January 1991 : …… the last local map I looked at covered the SSSI area of Easton Bavents and I can tell you now that the marked area on the map is with us no more – it is now in the sea!.
AN in Evening Star, 25 July 1991 : …… Norwich Union will become the first company to introduce a banded risk-rating system to assess building insurance premiums, taking into account the risk of subsidence. Homes built on clay will pay the highest premiums. This is bad news for home owners in Ipswich and surrounding towns and villages, as Norwich Union has declared that houses in the IP1 - 11 post code areas fall in the highest risk band for subsidence.
AG in Evening Star, 3 August 1991 : …… of Rushmere Road, Ipswich, said her personal health did not seem all it might be. So she started investigating and found a ley line ran through her home; there were various sorts of energy – for instance Curry and Hartmann rays.
RC in EADT, 23 November 1991 : …… Urgent work began yesterday to prevent a crumbling cliff falling on Felixstowe’s seafront theatre; the cliffs comprise layers of crag overlaid by London Clay.
EJ, RC and DK in EADT Education Supplement on Geography : …… Have the Gipping and Orwell always been here?; a cross-section shows Heathland topographically below a Springline with ‘Ice Below’; …… this cement works uses sands and gravels found in the valley of the River Gipping.
SC in Suffolk Travel, June 2000 : …… Gorleston : it is about five miles along the beach through Hopton-on-Sea, Corton-on-Sea and Gunton to Lowestoft; it is easier to do this walk in the morning as the tide will be going out at this time.
JG in EADT 12 September 2000 : …… in East Anglia there are two ley lines of huge importance, the St. Michael and St. Mary lines. The Michael line goes through the middle of Eye, through Fornham, Hoxne and Bungay. ….suggests that, when the world was first formed, the lines might have acted like a force-field, holding the earth’s physical shape together.
Bob Markham
