Teachers of Vasyl Stefanyk Prykarpattia National University created a unique tactile icon of the Mother of God of Manyava, intended for people with visual impairments. The icon was presented during the All-Ukrainian pilgrimage to the Manyavsk Khresto-Vozdvizhensky Men’s Monastery, which was presided over by His Beatitude Metropolitan Epiphany. The presentation became a landmark event in the field of inclusive art in Ukraine.
The creative and scientific team of the Department of Design and Theory of Art of the Educational and Scientific Institute of Arts worked on the creation of the icon. The development took place within the framework of an inclusive project, the goal of which is to make art accessible to the blind. The icon is made using a special tactile technique, which allows you to feel the contours of the figures, clothes, as well as the facial features of the Mother of God and Jesus Christ through touch.
“Its three-dimensional texture can be explored by touch, feeling the contours of figures, clothes, the face of the Virgin and Jesus”, — is indicated in the description of the technical features of the icon.
Thanks to this, people with visual impairments can “read” the image with their hands, touch the sacred image and feel its depth. The development also includes QR codes that complete the experience: they can be scanned with a smartphone and listen to an audio description that explains who is depicted on the icon, what the gestures, colors and compositional elements mean.
Key participants of the project took part in the consecration ceremony: the head of the project, associate professor Nadiya Babii, the head of the department Oleg Chuyko, professor Bohdan Gubal, and the patron — entrepreneur Vasyl Rymaruk. For their contribution to the development of inclusive art, they were awarded the “For Sacrifice and Love of Ukraine” medal.
The presentation of the icon was conducted by acting rector of the Carpathian National University Ihor Tsependa, presenting the project in the presence of the head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. The project is part of a broader initiative of the University’s Universal Design Strategies Research Center. The center specializes in creating inclusive art projects for people with visual impairments, striving to make art accessible to everyone.
“The goal is to make art accessible to everyone, regardless of physical abilities”, — is noted in the concept of the Center’s work.
The initiative gained particular importance in the context of the war, when thousands of Ukrainians lost their sight due to hostilities. Developers emphasize the importance of this work at a time when thousands of citizens need new ways to experience beauty, spirituality and connection to cultural heritage. The initiative is designed to make sacred art accessible to everyone without exception.
“This is more than an artistic experiment. It is a step towards true inclusion, when the spiritual treasures of Ukraine are opened to everyone.” – emphasize the authors of the project.
The tactile icon of the Virgin of Manyava became the first project in Ukraine that combines traditional sacred art with innovative technologies and principles of universal design.
Photo: pnu.edu.ua
