Blind Children’s Program Consults with the Southern Methodist University (SMU) Meadows Museum to Create Accessible Art Experiences

Authors: Shirley Franklin, Program Development Consultant for the Blind Children’s Program, Texas Health and Human Services (HHS)

The Blind Children’s Program (BCP) provides opportunities for children and families to engage in hands-on training to help them meet their individual goals. The program can also help families get connected with resources in their community and provide education to the family and child.

The Blind Children’s Program’s partnership with the Meadows Museum provided two opportunities in 2025 for children and families to experience art through hands-on direct skills training. In May, children with combined vision and hearing loss experienced an accessible tour with a visual description of the works depicted, a tactile depiction of two art pieces in the museum, and had an opportunity to create a unique tactile tapestry. The training was designed to promote fine motor skills, creativity, and make connections between children who are deafblind and their families. In August, the training focused on learning to use low-vision devices in the galleries on a docent-led tour. Children worked with Blind Children’s Program Specialists to refine their skills with a variety of devices such as monocular telescopes, handheld closed-circuit television devices (CCTVs), magnifiers, and adapted materials to view art. After the tour, children and families enjoyed a chance to make a self-portrait from canvases and colored clay.

Crystal Kowalski is a program manager with the Blind Children’s Program and has worked for the program in various capacities for eleven years. She is passionate about making art accessible for children who are blind or visually impaired and has worked extensively with the Southern Methodist University (SMU) Meadows Museum in Dallas. The Meadows Museum is a Spanish art museum on the SMU campus with an expansive collection that includes works by Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali. The museum is dedicated to increasing accessibility for all visitors.

Ms. Kowalski became involved with the Meadows Museum in 2014 while participating in a focus group on audio description for the gallery collections. She continued to work with the museum after the conclusion of the focus group with Mary Ann Siller, Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments, to provide blindness awareness training to museum docents and staff, and consult with the museum to make improvements in accessibility. Some of the adaptations they have helped develop include braille and large print labels, descriptions, and raised line tactile diagrams of the artwork, tactile recreations of the art that can be touched without fear of damaging the original piece, and docent training in using storytelling, objects, and vivid mental imagery to improve accessibility of guided tours. Another museum adaptation that the Meadows Museum provides is real-world objects that are directly connected to the concepts found in the art to engage all of the senses. For example, when viewing a portrait of Queen Mariana by the Baroque artist Diego Velázquez, visitors can feel a wig like the one she wore in the painting to gain conceptual knowledge of the important aspects of the portrait.

Accessibility is a passion for Ms. Kowalski because of her personal experience as a child who grew up with vision loss. At the age of 11, she was interested in history, so her family took a trip to Washington, DC, to see the Lincoln Memorial. She recalls that the museum was not accessible to her. Her mother described the Lincoln Memorial to her, and a security guard removed the barrier so she could feel it. This experience sparked her interest in art. As an adult, she has been able to use her passion for art and history in her work with the Meadows Museum and with the Blind Children’s Program.

One of the Blind Children’s Program’s key services is hands-on direct skills training. Over the years, the program has hosted a variety of trainings with the Meadows Museum. These events are fun and are designed with skill-building at their core.

For questions, comments, or to refer a child to Blind Children’s Program services, email [email protected]. Visit the BCP website to learn more.