Making digital art accessible to the visually-impaired

Art since time immemorial has been a powerful medium of expression to empower and to inspire.

New Delhi: Instagram is one of the most popular social networks worldwide. This visual medium is not just a photo gallery anymore it has transformed into a platform for creative expression, engagement and even a source of income for many.

The AltMuseum enables a simple functionality of alt-text available on Instagram to introduce a creative experience for the visually impaired. With the talk-back setting on Androids and Voiceover feature in iOS enabled, a creative coded in Alt-text helps in describing the visual through an audio narrative.

Vivel in an inclusive step forward, enables the visually impaired to explore a visual social medium like Instagram with AltMuseum. With its Voice of Art initiative, it has become the first brand to partner with the platform to make the message of empowerment more inclusive.

AltMuseum is the World’s first digital art museum that helps bridge the gap between art and its accessibility for specially-abled people with the use of technology.

Art since time immemorial has been a powerful medium of expression to empower and to inspire.

With this Alt Museum partnership, the brand has laid the foundation for a more inclusive and impactful digital space for the visually impaired. The content on the platform has also been made available to the students under the aegis of the National Association for the Blind (NAB). Provisions have also been made for smart phones to be provided to a set of visually impaired students at NAB, ensuring that nothing holds them back from accessing quality education and lead their lives in an empowered manner.

According to Pradnya Upadhye, Director Education, National Association for the Blind, India, “This is simple but so powerful! Vivel Voice of Art on Alt Museum is truly empowering. It not only helps explore creatives but also enables an inclusive experience of a visual medium like Instagram.”

Schbang for Good, the impact communications wing of Schbang, focused on driving social change, launched the Alt Museum handle on Instagram earlier this year.

Riya Parekh, Group Creative Manager, Schbang for Good, said, “With the world getting locked into their homes, we witnessed a rise in consumption of content across digital platforms, but why should entertainment and art be restricted to the abled population of the world? The Alt-Museum was the outcome of this simple question.

We identified the Instagram feature and latched onto the most visually-celebrated, World Photography Day to talk to the visually impaired. We are grateful to have progressive partners like Vivel who are constantly striving to use arts to push the world in a better direction. With the empowering initiative, Vivel #VoiceOfArt, it not only helps reimagine a more equitable world but also takes a step forward to make creatives a more inclusive experience for all.”