On 9 June 2026, Dr Rafie Cecilia (KCL) presented Rethinking access: How tactile encounters with 3D prints enable Disability Gain in blind, partially blind, and non-blind visitors’ museum encounters as part of Toccare l’arte antica: dialoghi sulle esperienze tattili in museo tra ricerca, formazione e divulgazione, an international online seminar series organised by the Gipsoteca di Arte Antica and Antiquarium, University of Pisa. The series brings together museum professionals and researchers to explore the role of touch within museum interpretation, accessibility, education, and public engagement.

The presentation shared findings from an ongoing collaborative research project with Annabel Gee (UCL Institute of Archaeology) and Dr Gorjan Stojanovski (University of Cambridge). Drawing on research conducted during the pilot phase in the Victoria & Albert Museum’s Cast Courts, the study explores how blind, partially blind, and non-blind visitors engage with 3D-printed replicas and audio descriptions. Using a sociocultural framework of scaffolding, the paper examines how tactile exploration, co-touching, conversation, and shared interpretation support collaborative meaning-making and create opportunities for Disability Gain, where accessibility resources enrich museum experiences for all visitors.

The research suggests that accessibility is not produced by individual tools alone, but emerges through interactions between visitors, companions, museum objects, interpretive resources, and gallery spaces. Particular attention was given to the role of tactile replicas and audio description in supporting shared learning, a sense of place, and new forms of engagement with the Cast Courts.

The research was supported by the UCL Fellowship Incubator Fund, the Global Disability Innovation Hub, and the KCL KURF scheme. A journal article based on this work is currently under review.

The presentation slides can be downloaded below.