American Printing House for the Blind

Imagine walking into a museum with limited vision. Artifacts are encased in glass, and even if you tried to see them, the glare from an overhead fluorescent light will only allow you to make out their shapes. The nearby printed description of the item is in a font too small for your eyes, and there’s no audio component that allows you to listen to its history. As a result, you have no idea what’s in front of you.

My name is Jessica Minneci, and I have this experience at almost every museum I visit. If I’m with a family member or friend, I must depend on them to assist me, or if I’m by myself, I have to get a tour guide. Then, throughout my time at the museum, I try to focus on the unique items in their collection and not on the fact that the establishment wasn’t built with people like me in mind. 

The Dot Experience at the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) aims to solve this issue by creating a fully accessible attraction. Its mission is to change perspectives about blindness and empower individual action toward a world that welcomes everyone. Artifacts behind glass will have physical representations nearby for visitors to touch along with components in braille and audio with ASL interpretation. For the first time, people of all abilities can walk into the space and interact with everything, no assistance required. Guests will learn about blindness history, touch artifacts from Helen Keller’s desk to a page of the first publication of the braille code, and examine how contemporaries are making strides in the field. Not only is this a freeing experience for those like me, but it also showcases my disability in an empowering way. If you’re as thrilled as I am, join me on opening day of The Dot Experience in 2026 and help us reach our fundraising goal for Give for Good this year.