Semi-Accessible Art Project for the Visually Impaired - Using Wikisticks

We have a friend who is visually impaired. He has some sight, and can make out things that are very high contrast and bold. Before he became blind, he was a fashion designer, but has not done any artwork since then. I thought up this little project for him, and he really enjoyed doing it. His piece came out great, and I can see that he has talent to work with. He just needs a proper medium that he can feel comfortable using.

Here's what I thought up: I got some Wikisticks at the craft store. Those are strings coated with a thick wax that is sticky enough to adhere to things. They are marketed to children, and come in bright, fun colors. Interestingly, they are also marketed to the blind on websites that sell accessibility aids.

I painted the back of a linoblock with black paint to create a high-contrast platform to stick the Wikisticks to. Our friend was able to make out the shapes of the sticks against the black background, and he also had the tactile feedback to help him along. He used scissors to cut the sticks to size. Here's what the block looked like before printing:

I printed it for him, but I really believe, with some practice, he could do this part himself. Relief printing inks tell you when they are the correct consistency by letting out a little hissing sound when you roll it, and burnishing the back of the paper was a piece of cake with this project. Also, our friend is completely colorblind, and only wants to work in black, so that part is also simple. I was amazed to see that the new OIL ink is indeed completely washable - with only WATER. This feature is just right for him because, naturally, he's cautious about having ink on his hands. It's perfect to have an ink that will print beautifully, but still rinse right off.

Here's the final product along with the block and some Wikisticks.

I matted some of his prints, and also framed one. They look fabulous, and he wants to try it again.