Solid Light Puts Accessibility Front and Center

As a Louisville institution for over 165 years, APH is thrilled to partner with another local business to bring The Dot Experience to Louisville, KY. Solid Light is a nationally recognized design firm that has worked on museums across the country. We spoke with Chris Mozier, Chief Operating Officer, and Jackson King, Director of Project Management and Project Manager of The Dot Experience, to learn more about what sets this project apart from other museums they’ve worked on. 

“I would say from a personal point of view, I think that it’s amazing that this is in Louisville. You know, we’re in Louisville as well, and so much of what we do is in other states across the country, and, to me, it’s galvanizing to have such an innovative space in our own city,” says Jackson.

Accessibility at the Forefront 

The biggest thing that sets The Dot Experience apart is our dedication to accessibility from the very beginning. The entire design of the museum is being planned with accessibility front and center. Chris and Jackson shared that their involvement in this project has changed not just the way they’ve thought about their work, but how they think about public spaces in general.   

Among its many features, a unique aspect of The Dot Experience is the encouragement of visitors to touch everything. While most museums have everything behind glass and “do not touch” signs, The Dot Experience will have a one-to-one touchable replica of anything that is too fragile to have out. But these accessibility features don’t just enhance the experience for those who are blind or low vision, “…they’re adding value across the spectrum to every visitor, regardless of whether they’re sighted or not,” says Chris. “It’s really shifted our perspective from considering accessibility as a net value add for all visitors regardless of their ability.” 

Nothing About Us Without Us 

Solid Light specializes in storytelling, and this project is a prime example of that. Using the guiding mantra, “Nothing about us without us,” the content in The Dot Experience is being driven by first person stories of people who are blind or low vision from all walks of life. Those featured in the Dot Experience include creatives, scientists, students, parents, and more.  

Prototyping 

Keeping in line with our mantra, we are so fortunate to have a local prototyping group right here in Louisville. Allowing us to test our assumptions and designs with a core group of individuals with various abilities ─ their feedback has been truly invaluable. While every project Solid Light works on requires feedback from the public at some point, The Dot Experience is unique in that the prototyping group isn’t just reacting to exhibit structures, they’re sharing their everyday life experiences as people with varying abilities navigating the world.  

Jackson says the feedback from this group has been particularly eye opening, “…as they blow our assumptions right out of the water and bring a wealth of knowledge not just about their experiences, but about how their experiences may differ from others.”  

A Model Museum 

While we aim to be the most accessible museum in the world, once we achieve that goal, we will only maintain that title until “somebody else does it better, and that’s a good thing. We should set a new benchmark with this project, but it should also then be leveraged to challenge future work,” Chris says. “Our thinking about it shouldn’t be limited to museum experience. It’s about not just making museums accessible, but the whole world.” 

“Shifting your thinking to this more increasing shared experience model is really something that needs to be more prevalent throughout our whole community, and I hope that the way we do The Dot Experience will help to prove that point,” Jackson says.  

How to Learn More 

As we prepare for our opening in 2026, both APH and Solid Light have been spreading the word about this influential project. Continuing their emphasis on attending museum conferences, Solid Light has been sharing their experience in accessibility, “…spreading the importance of not only the project, but the learnings that we’re gathering throughout the project,” says Chris.   

Meanwhile, we have been bringing aspects of The Dot Experience into our local community by sharing prototypes, facilitating educational experiences, and spreading the word about the upcoming museum, right here in our hometown. Follow us on social media and stay tuned to The Dot Experience website to stay up to date on our progress. We can’t wait to welcome you when our doors open in 2026!