Vision Cluster Strengthens Ties with Communities Through Partnerships

February 1, 2024
Image provided by the “Imagining Multisensory Art: Literacy and Inclusion” project. Featuring blind writer and disability studies scholar Dr. Georgina Kleege (left) and non-visual social practice artist Carmen Papalia (right). Photo taken by Anita Bonnarens Photography.

In winter 2023, the Research Excellence Cluster in Vision received two Partnership Recognition Exploration Funds from UBC Community Engagement for two discrete community-university projects, out of a total of 15 awarded projects! 

Imagining Multisensory Art: Literacy and Inclusion

One project, organized by the Vancouver Art Gallery and UBC’s Research Excellence Cluster in Vision, convened vision science researchers, artists, librarians, and disability advocates for “Imagining Multisensory Art: Literacy and Inclusion.” This unique event, attended by UBC faculty, staff, students, community members with disabilities, and their allies, focused on experiencing art through descriptive language and tactile exploration.

Vision Research Knowledge Translation Roundtable 

A second project, organized by Fighting Blindness Canada and UBC’s Research Excellence Cluster in Vision, will be a public education event—View Point in Vancouver, British Columbia. View Point brings together a collaborative network of leading researchers and professionals in the field of vision research, demonstrating commitment to advancing research on blinding eye diseases. This event, designed to bridge the gap between scientific research and the broader community, will welcome a diverse audience, including patients and caregivers. 

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