ReDefine Arts and artists Alex Bulmer, Tristan R. Whiston and Anna Camilleri collaborated with STEPS to develop The Bloor Annex BIA Accessibility Project, a pilot project that enhances accessibility in public spaces through embodied research, the creation of multidisciplinary artworks and public engagement.
In October, 2023, 7 disability-identified artists were invited to explore the Bloor Annex BIA area in Toronto, while in conversation with Bulmer, a Blind artist; these conversations were audio recorded, and led to the creation of audio compositions created by Whiston, and an exterior tactile map created by Camilleri.
Audio Stories
Explorations of the Bloor Annex neighbourhood by Alex Bulmer and 7 disabled artists generated meaningful discussions about accessibility and what it’s like to be disabled navigating public space. Audio stories were created highlighting shared learnings, happenings and chance encounters.
To listen to the audio stories, visit: https://bit.ly/3WjWQuR
To read transcripts of the audio stories, visit: https://bit.ly/3wqODue
Selected Quotes:
"When I notice there's a ramp, instead of a step, the effort's been made to turn it into a more accessible space, what I'm thinking about isn't myself but the friends I might invite – who can I bring with me into this space?"
Sean Lee
"How do we get information about our environments before we go into them so that we are prepared for the barriers that we're going to face?"
Alex Bulmer
"Sometimes I'm nervous to go to new areas of the city because I'm not confident as to how draining an experience it’s going to be."
Ophira Calof
"How do I find accessibility resources? … If I'm going somewhere new, I will call to find out: is the building accessible, do I bring my walker,... how many steps? But it never occurred to me to find out that information going into a neighbourhood."
LeZlie Lee Kam
"A lot of locations, business or building owners said that they didn't want a ramp because they didn't have any customers that used wheelchairs… Clearly we [Stop Gap] had our work cut out for us."
Luke Anderson
"Going through public space is actually very dangerous when you have a device that says to the public you're vulnerable."
Alex Bulmer
"Being an urban planner and carrying with me accessibility in my work, I'm able to challenge some of these preconceived notions around accessibility in some of the tables that I'm at. I know that that is making small, incremental shifts and dents into this armour that exists around keeping us [disabled, D/deaf, Blind people] out of the process."
Igor Samardzic
"Sometimes, you just have to be a go-getter and just find solutions."
Vivian Chong
"It is always interesting when we double our disability. To have me in my wheelchair and you [Alex Bulmer] with me, with the needs of someone who's Blind, because we both have different problems in the environment, different things that we encounter."
Jane Field
Tactile Map
In June 2024, a beta version of the tactile map created by Anna Camilleri was installed at the southwest corner of Bloor Street and Robert Street. STEPS is pursuing funding for fabrication methods to enhance tactility of this map to increase access for Blind and low vision people navigating the Bloor Annex neighbourhood.
Report + Toolkit
STEPS published the Accessible Art and Placemaking Toolkit that includes the Bloor Annex neighbourhood project with ReDefine Arts, along with resources that can be used to support planning public art and placemaking projects and making public spaces more accessible through art and cultural programs.