The Blind Urban Subject, Public Art in SoHo, NYC

a public art installation currently on display in New York City.

Spring St. & 6th Ave.

This message is for VoiceOver users: Thank you so much for taking the time to experience The Blind Urban Subject. We hope you enjoy this experience, and that you are able to share it with sighted friends and family for them to learn more about blindness and urban life. We understand – and grapple with – the fact that this installation is inherently not designed for blind and visually impaired people given its focus on public education for sighted passersby. I created this installation and I myself can’t even experience it! We will continue to explore new avenues for how the blind and visually impaired can experience The Blind Urban Subject, and look forward to your feedback. All my best, Daniel.

The Intro.

The Blind Urban Subject is an interactive public art installation that seeks to inspire mutual understanding of the blind and visually impaired in urban life. Curated by urban spontaneity, passersby are encouraged to experience a simulation of America's four most common eye conditions through a modified tower viewer, like those found on boardwalks and vistas. Following research and development at Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design, Civic Vision (2024) debuted in June 2025 at Spring Street Park in New York City in partnership with NYC Parks and the Hudson Square Business Improvement District.

The Story.

Daniel, the project's director, is legally blind with Ocular Albinism. This means he is very light sensitive, is unable to see details or depth, and has rapid uncontrollable eye movements. Inspired by his own blind urban experience and research on public perception of the blind, The Blind Urban Subject was created to offer a new perspective on how people navigate the world around them and the built environment we’ve created. The first step to building better, more inclusive cities is to make the blind urban experience relatable and to build mutual understanding with groups who experience (urban) life differently than most people. That's where the tower viewer comes into play.

Daniel brought the idea to a cohort of dedicated student designers, engineers, artists, and disability advocates at Brown and RISD to make this vision a reality.

In May 2024, we leased the tower viewer from Tower Optical Co. in Norwalk, Conn., and following months of research and development at the Brown Design Workshop, The Blind Urban Subject installed its first proof-of-concept in October 2024 on Thayer Street – a bustling business corridor – in Providence, R.I. The following month, leaders in the blind and visually impaired community; artists; advocates; and federal, state, and local government officials came together in celebration of the installation.

Following months of dedicated support, advice, and assistance from the City of New York and the Hudson Square Business Improvement District, The Blind Urban Subject debuted Civic Vision (2024) in June 2025 at Spring Street Park in the SoHo/Hudson Square neighborhood.

Why Urban Life?

Cities are complex systems of humanity. They are both the heart of culture and progress while simultaneously acting as pitfalls of marginalization. According to the World Bank, almost 70% of all humans will live in an urban city by the year 2050. With great freedom and individualism in America's cities arises concern for how this impacts blind people. Will people look up from their phones? Will cars think consciously about your movement before making a right-hand turn? Will city governments finally fix that pothole or repair those dilapidated truncated domes? Will designers, planners, and architects help build inclusive infrastructure? For all these questions, the answers hang in the balance. But one truth is fundamental: Blind Americans have every right to the city. Our work strives to help people understand that.

Our Collaboration With NaviLens.

NaviLens is an innovative assistive technology organization revolutionizing how blind and low-vision people navigate urban life. Using the NaviLens and NaviLens GO apps available on iPhone and Android, these colorful codes help make cities smarter and more inclusive. We are proud to integrate NaviLens technology in The Blind Urban Subject not only to ensure accessibility for blind and low vision people, but also to offer sighted passersby a unique and interactive experience to understand assistive technology.

Is It Accurate?

From the beginning and throughout its development, The Blind Urban Subject has been guided by two principles: accuracy and inclusion. We collaborated with physicians at the Rhode Island Eye Institute and the Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University throughout each phase of the project to ensure that these four simulations are as accurate as possible, while also maintaining approachability. In instances when vision science experts presented distinct understandings of each condition, we integrated their collective perspectives in these simulations. We will continue to routinely seek the advice and input of vision experts.

During research and development, we collaborated with Blind@Brown – the association for the blind and visually impaired at Brown University – in addition to proactive engagement with a wide array of pundits and organizations serving the blind and visually impaired. We look forward to collaborating with New York-area organizations following installation.