Creating The Dot Experience: Prototyping with Sandra Williams

Sandra Williams is a Louisville native, a local advocate, and a woman who is blind. Williams has worked in vision rehabilitation, is a long-term member of the National Federation for the Blind, and has served on many local and state boards with organizations that support individuals with disabilities. “I do a lot of advocacy work in the community trying to effect positive change,” said Williams. She is a part of the original prototyping team that has worked alongside Solid Light as they test and create each piece that will be a part of The Dot Experience. 

Going into her first prototyping session with the team, Williams remembers not knowing what to expect out of her new role working with APH and Solid Light. The first meeting included 3-D printed tactile representations of historical artifacts from the Helen Keller Archive. Each item sparked conversation on the size, level of detail, and depth of inscriptions. “We all had different opinions because we were coming from different perspectives. But, from the very first visit, I was engaged,” said Williams. “The individuals from Solid Light listened to us and took into consideration what we said. I found that very first experience to be a good one, and each experience only evolved from there.” 

Not only did Williams and the rest of the team go on to test more 3-D printed items, but also, the height of exhibit pieces, the angle of braille, and various materials for surfaces throughout the museum. Thanks to the varying abilities and ages across the team, they were able to shape each element of the museum with care. During one session, the team was presented with a model of a hand, and after feeling it Williams asked how old the man in the photo was supposed to be. “Once they told me the man’s age I said, ‘this is not the right hand, this is a young man’s hand.’ We did the same thing with hair and faces. I always wanted to know what the picture looked like. I figured if it has a defining texture in the picture, tactically it should too,” said Williams.  

Alongside her advocacy work in the field of blindness and low vision, Williams has always had a personal passion for museums. While she has often felt like she misses a part of the experience when she visits museums, Williams knows that at The Dot Experience, that won’t be the case. “Visitors can look forward to an immersive experience. They can enjoy the museum in any way that they want to. Print, braille, braille with speech, all of that is available. You can access information in the medium you find most beneficial,” said Williams.  

“Oftentimes we, the individuals who have disabilities, are an afterthought. We are not thought about in the invention of something. We are not at that table, and to be at the table with this experience, to be thought of from the beginning, is important. It’s a big deal,” said Williams. “I think visitors will find that this experience is welcoming, and it will definitely be one of a kind.