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PARIS — A blind man shared his recent trip to the Louvre where accessibility made it so he could experience the museum even though he couldn't see the art.
Anthony Ferraro is a Team USA athlete from New Jersey who is hoping to compete in judo at the Paralympic Games in Paris.
On a trip to Paris in March, he filmed his experience at the Louvre. Ferraro said he typically does not like going to art museums, but he said he was excited to go because they have accessibility accommodations there.
Ferraro exudes joy and happiness as he gets to use a Braille tactile map with a key to tell him what material the artworks were made of.
"This is so Louvre-ly," he said.
Although in French, he got to read Braille and listen to headphones explaining the history behind the artworks. He got especially excited to feel a tactile recreation of the Mona Lisa, one of the Louvre's most famous paintings in its collection.
He visited an entire tactile room that had multiple statues and artwork recreations he could touch and feel.
"You are a splendid statue," he said in the video, among other excited exclamations as he got to enjoy the artwork.
The Louvre's website has a page dedicated to accessibility for those with visual impairments, hearing impairments, physical disabilities and developmental and learning disabilities.
Dedicated spaces for those with visual impairments include the Pavillon de l'Horloge, which teaches the history of the Louvre with hands-on devices to help the attendees get a feel for the space they're in and learn about the building's architecture. The Department of Islamic Art collections also have tactile devices available.
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