War of the Dots: A Symposium Exploring Accessibility in Archive and Museum Exhibits

Date: 5 November 2024
Time: 2:00–3:30 p.m. ET / 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. PT
Location: Zoom
Presented by: The Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship for Diversity, Inclusion & Cultural Heritage at Rare Book School

In 2022, Washington State University (WSU) began to collaborate with the Washington State School for the Blind (WSSB) to establish a museum highlighting the history of the school. In 2024, the two organizations set up their first collaborative exhibit—a pop-up experience called “War of the Dots.” The goal of the exhibit was to engage blind and low-vision students in the history of tactile print, connecting accessibility challenges of the past with the present day. The presenters of this symposium will reflect on the experience of creating the exhibit while taking into account accessibility for blind and low-vision audiences. Mike Hudson, a longtime museum director for the American Printing House for the Blind, will ground this discussion in past debates about tactile print. In both the past and the present, the “War of the Dots” draws attention to the need for truly inclusive museums and cultural experiences.

This event is free and open to the public; however, advanced registration is required here.

Mike Hudson has worked for the previous 19 years in the museum at the American Printing House for the Blind in Louisville, Kentucky. He has an M.A. in the History of Technology from the University of Delaware.

Scott McCallum is the Superintendent for the Washington State School for the Blind. He has an M.S. in Orientation and Mobility Therapy from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania.

Talea Anderson is the Scholarly Communication Librarian at Washington State University. She holds master’s degrees in History and Library and Information Science from Central Washington University and the University of Washington.

Robert Schimelpfenig is the Archivist for Washington State University Vancouver. He holds a Ph.D. in Humanities from the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco, California.

This symposium is sponsored by Rare Book School and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation as part of the Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship for Diversity, Inclusion & Cultural Heritage.

Click here to learn more about the Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship for Diversity, Inclusion & Cultural Heritage at Rare Book School.