Community Foundation Funds Deaf Docent Program

www.pieraquarium.org

 COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FUNDS DEAF DOCENT PROGRAM

St. Petersburg, FL (Nov. 8, 2009) – The Pier Aquarium’s new Virtual Tour Guide for the Deaf has received a $1,500 grant from the Community Foundation of Greater St. Petersburg to further enhance the visitor experience.

The program, an addition to the aquarium’s daily Touch Experience, was developed by staff, students and teachers from Blossom Montessori School for the Deaf and technical partners at SRI St. Petersburg earlier this year. It is a state-of the art multimedia guide available on  handheld, portable media tablets that combines high resolution digital images with information about the critters that reside in the Touch Tank.

The guide presents three windows in a streaming video format. One view displays an animal; the other shows an American Sign Language interpreter (a student or teacher from Blossom Montessori) signing information about the critter and the third, close caption streaming text. A beta version will be implemented in the aquarium use by January 2010. Any visitor will be able to check out a guide for free with a valid driver’s license, passport or other photo identification.

The Community Foundation of Greater St. Petersburg, a division of the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay, awarded the grant in October.

The "Deaf Docent Guide” was initiated in 2008 with funding for special audiences provided by an Accessibility Grant from the Pinellas County Cultural Affairs Department. It was supplemented by a $1,000 award, the 2009 State of Florida Division of Cultural Affairs and VSA arts of Florida Inclusive Culture Award, for Best Practices in Access.  

The two grants also provided for new exhibit graphics – electronic fish identification signs – on digital photo frames at the Atlantic Ocean and Invertebrates tanks. The photo frames display looping slide presentation about the living collections and add a new layer of technological innovation to our exhibits. The technology also allows aquarium staff greater flexibility in tailoring displays for special needs visitors, special events or custom educational programing.