For the first time in Israel: accessibility to three-dimensional digital fabrication technology for the benefit of the blind and visually impaired population in Israel

After a long development process, FabLab Israel (The First community Fabrication Laboratory in Israel) launches, with the help of digital fabrication technologies, the art project for the blind population in Israel and around the world, so that they can have the opportunity to experience three-dimensional printing and create dreams!

FabLab Israel, Holon, which was established by the School of Design of the College of Management Academic Studies and the Center for Digital Art in Holon, is launching, after a long development process, a project specially formulated to make art accessible to the blind population in Israel and around the world.
With the help of the innovative digital fabrication technologies existing in the laboratory, such as: three-dimensional scanning, three-dimensional printing, CNC milling and laser cuts, FabLab Israel has developed a working model which enables the blind population to be exposed to digital fabrication.
Last year a new collaboration arose between Veronica Ellran, an artist who has been operating for years to enable the blind people to have access to art, and Revital Nadiv, director of FabLab Israel, who has examined many ways for fulfilling the common vision. The FabLab Israel team, together with the staff of the School of Design and Innovation of the College of Management Academic Studies, concentrated their efforts and resources in order to give this population the opportunity to engage in digital art.

According to Revital Nadiv, director of FabLab Israel: "We have developed this working model to make art accessible to blind children, believing that in the near future we will develop solutions in other areas which will be customized to the needs and unique problems that characterize the blind population. This is the first project of its kind which deals with the connection between innovative digital fabrication technology, art and the population of blind children”.
According to Professor Carmella Jacoby - Wolk, Dean of the College of Management: "Over the past year many delegates from Social Welfare and representatives of non-profit organizations dealing with the blind population in Israel have visited the laboratory and, to our
delight, we finally set out on a unique project that will make art accessible to blind children through digital fabrication”.

FabLab Israel is part of an international network of laboratories and its approach to the latest technology is by working in open source, knowledge sharing, providing the means to wider and diverse audiences and a free and experimental approach of working with those tools. The laboratory offers a variety of action measures, from CNC fabrication, through three-dimensional printing and electronics.
For the launching of the project, two interactive art installations shall be established, so that the visitors will be able to feel, touch and thus, among other things, to raise awareness among the blind and sighted people regarding art for the blind or visually impaired.

Installation 1: a joint three-dimensional sculpture – an art installation by digital fabrication - by printing/milling and three-dimensional scans. (Colored MDF or compressed Styrofoam or three-dimensional printing).
30 participants will take part in preparing the installation: 15 blind and visually impaired children between the ages of 12 and15, together with 15 children/adolescents without visual impairments.
The process will include two meetings - The first meeting will be for palpation and preparation and shall be held at the Center for the Blind and, the second one, a gathering of three-dimensional scans, digital processing and fabrication to be held in FabLab Israel. The finished sculpture will be displayed at the Tel Aviv municipality and at the *Marshal Center.

Installation 2: a joint three-dimensional wall - a wall by a grid design optimized for the blind people – in milling (colored MDF).
20 participants will take part in preparing the installation: 10 blind and visually impaired children between the ages of 10 and12, together with 10 children without visual impairments.
The process will consist of one meeting during which a panel and palpable elements will be prepare, in addition to three-dimensional scanning / computer design and preparation for milling. The meeting will be held at FabLab Israel. The installation will be displayed at the Tel Aviv municipality and at the *Marshal Center.
It is also an interactive installation which can be touchable and palpable by passers-by. Next to it will be shown the process that was invented by a participant of the Instructors Course and graduate of all our courses - Tommy Weintraub (14 years old).

*Marshal: Multi-Service Center for the Blind