The Dot Experience 2025 Update

On this episode of Change Makers, learn the latest about The Dot Experience and what's new for Connect the Dots.

On this episode (In Order of Appearance)

• Narrator
• Sara Brown, APH Public Relations Manager
• Jo Haas, APH Vice President of Advancement and The Dot Experience
• Erin Gibbons, APH Advancement Specialist

Additional Links

• Connect the Dots website
• Connect the Dots 2025 events
• AFAR - The Dot Experience Wants to Be The Most Accessible Museum
• Solid Light, Inc.
• PNC Foundation
• Louisville Free Public Library

Transcript

Narrator: 0:00

<silence> Welcome to Change Makers , a podcast from APH. We're talking to people from around the world who are creating positive change in the lives of people who are blind or have low vision. Here's your host.

Sara Brown: 0:15

Hello and welcome to Changemakers. I'm APH's Public Relations manager, Sara Brown . And today we are talking about The Dot Experience and all things related. I have APH's, Vice President, Advancement, and The Dot Experience. Jo Haas , and Advancement Specialist, Erin Gibbons here to tell us more. Hello, Jo. And hello Erin , and welcome to Change Makers .

Jo Haas: 0:39

Hi Sara.

Erin Gibbons: 0:41

Hey Sara. Thanks for having us.

Sara Brown: 0:43

Alright , so before we get into the questions, would you just mind to introduce yourself and let our listeners know what it is that you do at APH?

Jo Haas: 0:51

I'm Jo Haas and I am the VP for Advancement and The Dot Experience.

Erin Gibbons: 0:58

And I'm Erin Gibbons. Um, I am the Advancement Specialist.

Sara Brown: 1:05

Alright , so we're talking about The Dot Experience. Would you like to share what's, what's the latest with the construction on the campus?

Jo Haas: 1:15

Oh, goodness, <laugh> . Well, it seems like every day , um, you drive by, there's something new , uh, happening. We're, we're at the phase right now where , um, there is a lot that's visible from the street. Um, and, and my understanding is that , uh, the precast structure is, is almost complete. So we are almost to the point where what you see from the road is the actual , um, silhouette or will be the silhouette for the new piece of the building and the new construction. Um, and very soon most of the work will shift to , um, to the inside. So , um, there will not be as much visible from , uh, the exterior. The building will be , um, all closed in and work will really then be focused on , um, internal , uh, fit and finishes.

Erin Gibbons: 2:19

It's a very exciting time in construction. I was walking by the other day and just looking at it, I could really imagine, you know, where in that building was gonna be, the lobby and where we're gonna be the different , um, exhibits. So it's really exciting to see from all the plans that we've been looking at for years, <laugh> it really is coming to life and we can start picturing what it's gonna be.

Sara Brown: 2:42

And going from exterior work to interior work is a huge milestone. So, you know, that's really where you really start getting, it's really coming together. So that's really exciting to know and learn. Now for those who are unaware or just learning about The Dot Experience, when is it expected to open? And can you talk about what guests can expect?

Jo Haas: 3:03

Well, I can tell you, Sara, that the , um, construction project , uh, um, is on its own path. Um, and The Dot Experience is one piece of that construction project. So , um, those , uh, those pathways , um, are not a hundred percent synced up with one another. So over the course of 2025, the year, this year , um, all of the interior work will , uh, will happen and the building will , um, uh, early in 2026 be ready for occupancy. Um, but at that point, there will need to then be a period of , uh, exhibit installation. And so , um, so the building will actually be ready before the exhibits will go in , uh, and then before the Dot experience itself will open. Um, and we expect that to be somewhere between mid , uh, um, summer to , uh, mid-fall , um, of 2026.

Sara Brown: 4:16

Talk about the exhibit process because just listening and learning about The Dot Experience from the groundbreaking to what we've got going on there has been so much learning and just such , it's a very interesting piece. But talk about the exhibit process because like you said, the building will be finished and ready for occupancy, but we've gotta do the move in , we've gotta do the installations. Can you talk about that process of the exhibits?

Jo Haas: 4:37

Yeah, I'm gonna let Erin take that question to , to start us off, and then I'll , uh, pile on after her, her vantage point. You know, Erin has been doing all of the liaison work between , um, solid light exhibit design and development and APH , um, in a lot of unique ways where , um, APH is contributing to the fabrication work of, of The Dot Experience. So talk about that from your perspective, Erin .

Erin Gibbons: 5:10

Yeah, it's been a truly fascinating process. I just , um, have such a unique, wonderful opportunity to be able to see this from basically the beginning through to the end. Um, and there are just so many moving parts and pieces that go into it. Uh, it's been really cool to get to know solid light more and that relationship flows really well. Um, but we also, as Jo mentioned, we're using our internal resources for a lot of things. So things like tactile maps , um, braille transcription , uh, audio recording, all of that. Um , we're using our internal resources, which is super cool. So that's involved a lot of communication between different people at solid light and different people at APH. Um, and that includes the researchers and archivists as well as the transcribers and the production floor workers and , um, really just across the board. So yeah, there's just always a lot, several things going at once. We are one part of the museum. Um, in the decoding braille section, there will be a section dedicated to music braille and math braille, and we have been , um, developing that in the last few months a lot. And so it's been a really cool , um, collaboration between Solid Light and APH with the music braille we're starting with, we started with an APH product, the music wheel that we wanted to showcase, but we had to figure out how to make it, you know, bigger and st sturdier , uh, more permanent. And so solid light has taken , um, that music wheel, which we make in house , um, and was suggested by some of our project product managers has taken that wheel and expanded upon it. Um , and so we have the original wheel and we did all the transcription. Solid Light is doing fabrication on that. So it's been a lot of back and forth , um, between Solid Light giving us, because we're also printing the wheel for the museum. So Solid Light sends us files, we bring them to APH production , um, which means that APH production and solid light production have to work very closely together , um, to ensure that all the files are right. And , um, so they embossed that and you can really see, you can definitely see the , the music wheel in it, which is really cool. Um, so we made a first trial run at that, and then we went through the prototyping process. Um, so we had a physical music wheel that was , um, printed near embossed at APH, and we had it over at solid light for a prototyping session. So our group of probably 10 to 12 , um, our inclusive prototyping group each got to explore the music wheel on their own and , um, really react to a wide variety of , um, facets of that. So things like, "is the braille in the right position that you can feel it easily?" "Is the music wheel far enough away from the wall so that anyone can touch it regardless of if they're a child or in a wheelchair?" Um, and it also is things like, "how does the music wheel physically turn?" "How, what is the best way to do that?" Um, from everything from like, how it clicks into place, but also like what the mechanism that you grab to turn it. So what started out as just a, a circle , um, now it has like the next iteration, we'll have some grooves on the sides and some places to hold onto to turn. Um, and so it's been a really exciting process and really great to see APH and solid light working so well together. Um, and it's just one of the many ways that we're gonna be able to showcase APH innovation and products in the museum.

Jo Haas: 9:15

Some of the other things , um, Sara that are, are happening within the project right now , um, the Solid Light media team is traveling to , um, uh, interview the individuals who were identified as cast members whose , um, stories about their lived experience as a , an individual who has blind or low vision and, you know, sort of how they came to , um, uh, their blindness and , um, how they lived their lives and, and , uh, um, their careers and really their, their stories of successes and struggles. Those cast members are, are now in the process of being interviewed. So we've, we've got the first few of those in , uh, in the can, which is, is super fun. Um, we are , um, uh, getting to a detailed design phase for some of the areas that had been , um, blocked out , uh, and, and sort of , um, uh, where the content had been identified and the intent of a space had been identified, but , um, where the details of the interactive experience or , um, the nuances of that experience had not yet been , uh, fleshed out. And so we're in the process of, of , uh, of that work. Um , you know, as, as Erin was saying with the, the music wheel and the math wheel, you know, we are designing interactives and testing those with , uh, with our prototyping team. Um, we just , uh, took possession of a , uh, um, a Chevy vehicle. The back of that vehicle is being , um, utilized as a part of the gallery where we will tell the story of, of teachers of the visually impaired the TVI story. Um, because so often TVI are traveling around , uh, districts or geographies and they've got their cars packed with all kinds of stuff that help them support kids and , uh, and teachers and families. Um, and so , um, uh, so that vehicle is now over at Solid Light , and I saw them the other day and they've cut it down and they've, you know, installed these , um, braces to keep the trunk up so it doesn't come down. Um, and they're measuring the interiors. Uh, so, you know, it's a period of very detailed level work, literally every exhibit component by exhibit component, every gallery by gallery. So , um, so it's, it's, it's an exciting time, but, but busy , uh, as well.

Erin Gibbons: 12:13

And Jo, I think the TVI trunk is a great example that illustrates that we are still in the continuous exhibit design process. We just , um, last week or the week before, had a great brainstorming session with our consultants at Prime Access our friends at Prime Access Consulting , um, about the TVI exhibit and how we can make it the most meaningful for everyone. Um, and really came outta the meeting with all feeling like the exhibit was more meaningful and impactful and authentic. So, you know, we've been really able to, now that some of the big picture structures are in place, we're able to hone in on those details , um, to really make it a seamless and , um, exciting museum for everyone.

Sara Brown: 13:00

And you all mentioned the prototyping Group. Now I know there's a lot of intentional thought and perspectives from that prototyping group. Can you talk about how that group has helped shape the look and the feel of the exhibits in The Dot Experience?

Jo Haas: 13:17

Oh gosh. I mean really in , in, in every way. Um, and they, and they will continue to , um, you know, we, every time we bring that prototyping team together , um, to review something, you know, whatever it is, and, and they're in about every six or eight weeks , um, you know, some constellation of them , um, we, we start with an assumption, right, because you have to start somewhere. So we've got a , an item, a problem, a question, whatever it is, and we put it out in front of them . Um, and then we engage that group and , and they are , um, very different. You know, they are , uh, they , they bring themselves to the process and they are , um, newly blind, you know, been , been blind for life. Um, deaf blind cane users, new cane users, experienced cane users, technology users, not comfortable with technology , um, prosthetics , uh, um, neurodiversity , uh, um, wheelchair users, electric, wheelchair users , uh, um, you know , uh, um, struggle with grip strength. So, so they're coming at this thing , uh, from, from every angle, which has been great. And what often happens is that we come out of those prototyping sessions, you know, having learned a lot and at times , um, a lot of things we didn't anticipate learning, but that's kind of the, that's the norm now. You know, I think the first time we did it, we kind of freaked out like, whoa , you know, this , this is a lot, you know, we're coming out of this thing. And, you know, there was nothing. We, we, we, we made a , you know, significant departure from, from where we started. I think now that when we see the prototyping team and we put something forward to them, we expect that kind of , um, turn toward , um, you know, inputs like the, a recent gathering was putting the Inclusive prototyping team together with a subcontractor who designs , um, statues. Okay. So there are , uh, two or three places in the Dot experience where we have life size , um, replicas , uh, uh, one of Buddy, the Guide Dog Buddy, who is , um, was the first US Guide dog. And one of the objects that we have in the , in the , um, experiences is buddy's guide dog harness. And then we have a , um, a life size , um, sculpture of Helen Keller sitting at her desk on a braille rider and a life size sculpture of , um, a teenage , uh, Louis Braille. And so, you know, this, the prototyping team was, was meeting with this consultant group, and typically they design sculptures for museums , um, and they think about sculptures from a visual standpoint, you know, and they might be designing sculptures to be touched, but, but they're thinking about that only from durability standpoint, not from a a meaning making standpoint. So they're not thinking about, you know, what is the right level of, of detail in someone's hair or someone's clothing or someone's facial expressions. Um, you know, that conveys meaning to someone who can't see the details. Um, and so, so that was a fascinating conversation. So I, I think it's safe to say, you know, back to your original question, what kind of input are they having? They are having immense input , um, and frequent input and, and valuable input. They, they really are driving ,

Erin Gibbons: 17:49

Um, how some of the , um, interactives are working. Um, I don't think there's been a single prototyping session where we didn't leave with big differences in design that were necessary and really help facilitate a better experience for everyone . Um, and I think really the commitment to having an open mind and being willing to change and , um, the dynamic, you know, being dynamic in our decision making is shown through prototyping, but so many other things , um, that just, you know, this, it's okay if we're wrong. Sometimes it's okay if we need to take a step back and , um, reassess. And I think that that really makes this project , um, feel really authentic.

Jo Haas: 18:41

And, and we're, we're hoping , um, that as we move into this phase that we're in now , um, that will expand that , uh, prototyping group with a few , um, uh, teenagers that's , um, our intent and that we'll do , um, some level of , uh, um, engagement with , uh, some younger folks as well. So, you know , now will be the time to kind of broaden that group a little bit. Um, and, and that group will be with us there, actually, they met, I think this week or last week with the , um, the marketing team , um, the, the consultants that we have working now , um, uh, to help us do some opening oriented marketing for The Dot Experience. So the prototyping team will be, you know, continuing to give feedback on, on all things as , uh, as they relate to getting us ready for that opening.

Sara Brown: 19:37

Now, have there been any instances from this prototyping group where you got the feedback and you're just thinking, you know, we need to just do it again , scrap that and let's try again. <laugh> , you know, they send you just like, whoa, we totally messed up on that one. Let's go back, re reevaluate, re let's change this and bring it back to them. Have there been any instances where they just absolutely were like, "no?" <Laugh>?

Jo Haas: 20:01

Yeah, I mean, in, in, in small ways. You know, I think, I think way back to the , um, to the media pods, Erin , if, if, you know mm-hmm <affirmative> . Um , one of the very first things we were trying to do is figure out how to , um, have , uh, media , um, video playing in the galleries , um, in a way that would be , um, uh, you know, accessible and comfortable for everybody. And that, you know, all of a sudden we had all these conflicting, like, you know, some people wanted , um, uh, the space to be dark so that they could see the contrast of the screen, and then it was too dark because you couldn't see the floor and, and, and it was , um, too open. And so the sound was bleeding, and then it was, you know , too closed and you couldn't get the wheelchairs through. And, you know, so it , so it, it was just now that wasn't necessarily, that didn't follow the kind of script that you just, you just shared, you know, where we put something out there and then we scrapped it and came back. But there were a lot of iterations of those , um, what are now called the media pods , um, that now have, you know , um, uh, the right kinda light directed sound canted , uh, um, surfaces where easy to use buttons are, and, you know , um, uh, descriptive video and ASL and transcripts and seating that have arms and no arms because you need some seating with arms, and then you need some double seats for transferring or for larger people. I mean, it was just this, the , the list of needs for those kinds of spaces were large. So we've had several instances where that process has, has occurred. And I would say Braille Bug is another, you know, the Braille Trail Bug Hunt. We , we got that to a point where we designed it into a, a , a sort of a brief that explained how it was gonna work, and then we realized you have to see to make this work, and that doesn't work. It doesn't fit our criteria, right. You know, if , if, if it's something that requires you to see to, to do it and to get meaning out of it, that does not fit our criteria for the Dot experience. And so we sent that back. Now, I haven't seen the next solution yet, but you know, there's a great example of like, we, you know, the sort of proverbial slap on the forehead, like, duh <laugh>

Erin Gibbons: 23:00

Sometimes, you know, we get, so we're so in the project all the time, once we take a step back and look in , we're like, "oh, that's totally different than what we <laugh> , you know, we had a shared vision that isn't coming through." So, yeah .

Jo Haas: 23:16

But I am constantly learning. I know, you know, that was one of the things that, that, that you had asked us. I mean, it's, it is a constant learning process. You know, I've been doing the, the attractions in museum work since the mid, mid eighties. And , uh, you know, it is, this is , this project is like none other for me , um, just in its level of , uh, nuance and intention and , um, complexity and, and, and that sort of high level objective to be the most inclusive museum in the world.

Sara Brown: 23:52

And <laugh> talking about how The Dot Experience we're , how it's gonna be. So touchable talk about why that's huge for guests and why that's so important .

Jo Haas: 24:04

Yeah. The touch, touch everything is, is so profound. Um, and it's kind of funny in a way because with my science center brain on, I think, okay, well that's science centers are, are touchable spaces and lots of things are touched in science center spaces. And then I, I realized that , um, you still need your , um, your sight for , for the, the meaning of what it is that you're doing with your hands. And so our approach and , and then I think, you know, just , just kind of as a level setting, and then I think about the experiences that I have heard from individuals who are blind and low vision themselves. And they frequently will say , um, there are some great museums out there, you know, that give touch tours or have touchable objects. Um, however, in many instances those are offered on limited schedules. So a touch tour may be done on Tuesdays at two, you know, and if you wanna come on Wednesday, you can come on Wednesday, but you can't have the touch tour. Or if you are a history museum or an art museum and you have a touchable collection, you have some number of objects that a curator has decided are interesting. And they have been replicated, or they have been , um, uh, Erin and I were in , um, in, in Boise and saw a really cool art museum that had these , uh, um, tactile boxes. So for , uh, an art piece, you could bring out this, this box and it opened up and it had , um, textural elements that conveyed the essence of the art piece, you know, but, but they didn't have that for every piece of art in the museum. Um, there isn't a replica for every object in a history museum. You know, there's a, there are a selection of those in the places that have them. Um, you might go into a gallery and have a braille set of labels in a gallery, but very infrequently are you going into an entire museum where there is braille available or audio descriptions. Um , you know, those might be happening in certain places in pockets, but not at a comprehensive level. And so what we are doing at the Dot experience is, is saying that our objective is to help every person who arrives at the Dot experience for a visit, to allow them all to have an autonomous experience, to be able to choose their adventures, you know, and to move through the, through the experience, through the galleries, pick and choose what they are interested in , um, have access to all of those things. Um, whether it's through a replica object, whether it's through an actual object, whether it's through , um, a hands-on product, whether it's through , uh, you know, braille labeling, whether it's through , um, uh, ASL in a media piece or , um, or it's, it's visual descriptions that are conveyed , um, with QR codes , uh, or, you know, or touchable, you know, sample materials that , um, that are offered. But, so there'll be a variety of all of these means, you know, but, or it's, or it's a <laugh>, you know, it's a, it's a manipulative that doesn't require you to have a huge amount of grip strength to use it, you know, or it's something you can reach or it's something you can, you know, so, so we are giving the, the, it's really the power to the people, right? It's, it's every person who arrives, no matter when they arrive or how they arrive , um, or what their needs are, you know, they're gonna find a way to navigate through the space , um, autonomously, independently , um, you know, in, in parallel with peers. Uh, they don't have to wait for somebody else. They don't have to have, you know , um, they don't have to stand out like a sore thumb because they're, they're getting some sort of , um, kind of othering treatment, you know, that that is in some instances a good thing. You know, if, if you're going into a theater and you, you know, need to have , uh, uh, a , um, captioning device or something like that, you know, we want you to be able to have that available. But our , we , we are trying our best to design from the ground up things that allow the widest possible group of people to access them at all times.

Sara Brown: 29:24

Well said . And I think that's very true. And I've seen, and I've, I've seen things and I've learned things, and yeah, it's being baked in and built in from the ground floor, and that makes the difference versus having to adapt when it's all done, and it's still never quite right. So, very well said. Throughout this whole process from start, from the first piece of dirt that was turned to today, what is something that you've learned that you did not know or that you'll always carry with you when doing future projects?

Erin Gibbons: 29:58

That's a tough one. I feel like, you know, this is my first experience , um, working in the, in this field. And so I just feel like every single thing has been so new <laugh> and I've learned so much as far as , um, you know, the process of exhibit building , um, but also accessibility. And really just the other day when I, I was talking to someone and I said that when people leave the Dot experience, I want them to feel a connection to the human experience. And , um, I think maybe one main overarching lesson I've learned is that accessibility helps everyone you experience through more than just your eyes. You experience through all of your senses. And that's not just for people who can't see, that's for all of us. You know, we learn by getting hands on , by smelling things and feeling things. Um, and that, that really just benefits all of us to have more of that shared language.

Jo Haas: 31:02

Yeah, I , um, I think that's, I, I find that to be true too. I am, I feel like I am , um, really lucky to be an experienced museum professional who has done countless projects, big and small , um, and still find myself learning through this project. Um, and, you know, for me, some of it has been what I have had to learn to run a project that is , um, fully inclusive of a really diverse group of , um, decision makers and , um, and collaborators, you know? So, so, you know, here I am, I arrived at APH couple years ago, you know, with tried and true project management skills and meeting, you know, skills for leading meetings and, and, you know, rely heavily on post-it notes and sharpies and drawing diagrams and those kinds of things, which don't work anymore. Right. You know, because , um, I mean, I vividly remember a lot of my first meetings where I, I, you know, stood up at a, at a, a whiteboard, you know, in a meeting room. And, and then I realized that three people in the room couldn't follow what I was saying and see what I was drawing. And so, you know, I've had to really adapt , um, those kinds of skills, which is challenging and fascinating to me.

Erin Gibbons: 32:55

And I think it's been really cool to like all learn about that and enhance each other's , um, skills and hold each other accountable. Like if someone in a room now tries to get up and walk on the whiteboard or right on the walk whiteboard, someone in that room is going to say, that's inaccessible. And you need to figure out a different way to get your message across. Um, and we do

Sara Brown: 33:22

Now, The Dot Experience opens in 2026, as Jo said earlier, now, last year there were monthly programs throughout the community to connect and to get people excited about The Dot Experience. Is, is that gonna continue in 2025?

Jo Haas: 33:38

Yes, it is gonna continue. Um, thanks to PNC Foundation , um, we are continuing with , uh, connect the Dots , um, in , in , uh, collaboration with the Louisville Free Public Library. Um, and , uh, there is a , um, a schedule , uh, on the.experience.org website , um, of Connect the Dots programs for the new year. We're not exactly once a month , uh, this time around, so there are , um, but the dates are all published. Um, and we'll be doing , uh, a teen and , um, college career day, college and career day. Um , we're doing a preschool party, we're doing a couple of Helen Keller programs , uh, greatest day of play , uh, the How to Festival , um, and , uh, white Cane Day. There's a steam uh, festival event later in the year. So we will be , um, really integrating , uh, APH and The Dot Experience programming into those collaborative events. So come out and see us. Most of them are on Saturdays.

Sara Brown: 35:02

Yes. Now, do you know when the first event is for 2025 by chance?

Jo Haas: 35:09

I do. The first event is February 1st, 10 to 4:00 PM at the Main Library, and that is a teen college and career day. So , um, hands-on activities in , uh, connection with professionals from different fields who are shaping the future of access and innovation. Um, and then the second program is also in February, February 22nd, and that is a preschool party at the Southwest Regional Library. Um, so that will include , uh, a lot of sensory activities around early literacy , um, tactile exploration and play , um, for preschoolers. And that one is also , um, uh, let's see, 10 to 1:00 PM at the Southwest Regional Library.

Sara Brown: 36:10

And those events have always been so well attended. I will definitely put information in our Show Notes and link to the 2025 calendar, so anybody out there listening can get additional information. And then my final question I always ask, is there anything else you would like to share? It can be about the construction on the front of APH. It could be about the construction with Solid Light and the partnership with Solid Light. Anything you wanna share about the Dot experience?

Jo Haas: 36:39

Well, I'll say it , you know, it is getting exciting, you know, we are really ramping up to , um, uh, to that open date in 2026. Um, and I think the, the, the sort of broader world is starting to notice too. You know, we just had a really great article in AFAR Magazine , um, uh, written by a , uh, uh, woman who is a museum goer and herself blind and low vision. Um, and she gave us a great review about the project as it's progressing. Um, we are speaking at several conferences. Uh, we will be at the Building Museums conference this year. Um, we will , uh, potentially be , um, at the Southwest or Southeast Museums , um, conference. So we've, we've uh , we've got a couple of speaking engagements, so it's exciting and , and people are noticing , um, what we're up to.

Sara Brown: 37:44

What about you, Erin ? Any to , anything you wanna share before I let you go?

Erin Gibbons: 37:48

I think just echoing Jo's sentiments about going out and speaking at conferences and stuff, we're really excited to, we, you know, we've learned as we've discussed so much on this project, and we're really excited to share that with other people , um, other museums and attractions and in a way that, you know, yes, we got to start from the ground up and , um, have had so much time and resources into this, but anyone can make their museum or their job or their school more accessible in minor ways. It doesn't have to be as sweeping as we have the luxury of having it be. So, yeah, I, I hope people walk away knowing that they can make the world more accessible.

Sara Brown: 38:33

Erin and Jo, thank you both so much for joining me on Change Makers today. Thanks for having us.

Jo Haas: 38:39

Always great to talk with you, Sara. Thank you.

Sara Brown: 38:43

And I've put links in the show notes for additional information about the Dot experience and connect the Dots. I've also put a link to the magazine article Jo referenced earlier. Do you have a podcast suggestion? Send me an email to changemakers@aph.org. As always, be sure to look for ways you can be a changemaker this week.