Ms Carmen Millar:

I have actually done that. I have walked into the National Gallery and walked for quite a bit. I realised that there were stairs, and it took a while before security found me and I asked them to direct me and take me to the ladies toilet or to the canteen and so on. On my own it was a daunting experience, so these guided sessions are awesome. We also get to engage in the art and explore an artist. It becomes an art experience. We absolutely enjoy the experience and know that we can enjoy art even though we cannot see all of it. The organised trips are great. Just walking in off the street is a bit daunting and even if we can walk about, we do not really know what we are seeing. We might see some stuff that does not make sense. The audio description and the tactile guidance is awesome. The National Gallery and the Crawford Gallery have been doing special tactile reprints of art pieces.

Within our workshops, we are able to touch all the lines of a particular painting. We can touch it, feel it and somebody describes what the colours are. We might get to feel a piece of material, perhaps a curtain or somebody's dress on a painting just to get the feel of it. Combining the touch and the audio makes it an experience. The organised trips are of more value to us than just walking in off the street. You could walk right into steps, fall down steps or you would not know where the lifts are, so the organised sessions are key.