Speaking
Ted Tahquechi is a visually impaired photographer, tactile artist, and advocate for accessibility in visual art. A veteran of the video game industry, Ted’s unique perspective is honed from creating immersive worlds for iconic companies like Atari, Accolade, and Mattel Toys. After a life-changing accident, Ted turned to photography, not just as a creative outlet, but as a tool for healing and reshaping his understanding of sight.
Ted holds degrees in fine art photography, studio art photography, and communications. His work uniquely bridges the gap between visual and tactile experiences, making significant contributions to both fields. In collaboration with his wife Carrie, Ted has pioneered a groundbreaking process in tactile art, partnering with the Redline Contemporary Art Center of Denver and the Andy Warhol Foundation for Visual Art. This innovative process extracts textures from images to create tactile files, printable on any 3D printer, and debuted at the National Federation of the Blind national conference in 2024, marking a milestone in accessible art.
In addition to his artistic endeavors, Ted is a beloved figure in the video game community. He has spoken at numerous retro gamer conferences, sharing insights and stories about his work. His deep understanding of both art and technology has earned him respect in both fields.
Ted’s compelling story and dedication to accessibility continue to inspire and educate audiences worldwide. He has shared his expertise at venues like the Dairy Arts Center and Madelife in Boulder, discussing photography, vision loss, and using photography as a healing tool. Ted dreams of a world where art can be touched, not just seen.
Attending this photo lecture transformed my perspective. I now see the world through a lens of light and shadow capturing images in a completely different way
Your words were a revelation. I learned that making my art accessible can reach and resonate with a whole new audience transforming my work and its impact.
Changing how the fully sighted see the visually impaired
We live in a world dominated by sight. Yet, for those without it, visual art remains largely inaccessible. This isn’t a new challenge; for centuries, people with visual impairments have been excluded from fully engaging with the visual art world. According to Instagram, as of February 2024, more than 100 million photos and videos are uploaded to Instagram every day, and the vast majority of them do not have alternative text descriptions for those who cannot see.
What if photographers learned that adding alternate text descriptions when they post an image to social media that they would open their work up to an entirely new audience. Or if sculptors created smaller versions of their pieces that were meant to be touched by those without sight. And if painters provided audio descriptions in their own words telling the viewers about the piece they are looking at. Or if museums included tactile representations of exhibited art for every piece. With these changes, suddenly the world of visual art would become accessible to millions that could not participate previously.
Rather than sitting back and complaining about art being inaccessible to me, I set out to create a way to make photographs touchable. Last year, my wife Carrie and I partnered with Redline Contemporary Art Center of Denver and The Andy Warhol Foundation for Visual Art to create a process that can extract the texture of an image and create a multilayered file that can be printed by any 3d printer. We debuted the process at the National Federation of the Blind national convention this year to rave reviews. The work was shown with traditionally printed photographs and tactile renderings that could be touched. We even included tactile QR codes that when scanned give an audio description of the original photo and then walks the viewer through the features of the tactile rendering. Says Ted Tahquechi
Our process does not solve accessibility for visual art, but it does take a step in that direction. The work provides a platform that starts the conversation about the importance of making visual art accessible and illustrates one way visual artists can allow their work to be enjoyed by all, not just those who can see it.
Travel Influencer and Disability Advocate
I am the owner and primary content creator for www.blindtravels.com an online resource dedicated to delivering destination and travel related technology reviews for blind and visually impaired travelers. I draw from more than 25 years of business and leisure travel in my articles, and often speak at travel industry conferences about strategies to more effectively market leisure travel products, destinations and tours to the visually impaired. More than 250 million people in the world have visual impairments ranging from blindness to severe vision loss and I love to work with members of the travel industry to help them understand effective approaches to marketing services and products to this challenging demographic. I also commonly aid travel industry destinations to improve their property accessibility for visually impaired guests.
Photography
In 2016, I debuted a six-year-long body positive photographic project called Landscapes of the Body http://www.bodyscapes.photography/, an inclusive and abstract view of the human form which has been shown all over the world. I love to speak about Landscape, Portrait and Product photography, and occasionally even teach my method for creating bodyscapes. I love to speak about the need for accessibility in visual art, especially with other artists. In 2024, my wife Carrie and I began a partnership with The Andy Warhol Foundation for Visual Art and Redline Contemporary Art center of Denver to create a method which extracts the texture from photographs and other art and creates a tactile representation that can be printed on any 3d printer. This technique bridges the gap between pixels and touch.
I commonly speak about the importance of accessibility in visual art. My wife and I have created a process which takes photos and turns them into touchable renderings printed on 3d printers. This process was developed with Redline Contemporary Art Center of Denver and The Andy Warhol Foundation for Visual Art, and made it’s debut in 2024 at the National convention for the National Federation of the Blind.
For more information about our accessible art movement please visit https://www.disabledart.com/
Retro Gamers
I worked in the videogames industry at Atari, Accolade and Mattel Toys for nearly 20 years as a Senior Product Manager creating and releasing 35 titles to the market for PC, handhelds and consoles. Throughout my career, I also created sound effects and music for many of the titles I produced, becoming adept at Foley work and voice over production. I am often called on to speak at Retro Gamer conferences about my time in the industry, and attendees often revel in my frank question and answer sessions.
I have been a featured speaker at Portland Retro Gaming Expo in 2023 and 2024 and much more.
Game credits:
- Associate Producer and Voice Talent for Tempest 2000 (my wife was the female voice)
- Music voice and SFX for many Atari games
- Created the Test Drive: Offroad franchise for Accolade
- Created Kasumi Ninja for the Jaguar
- Created Redline Gang Warfare
- Created Slot Car Racing, Jets and more for Mattel Toys.
and much more.
I’m a member of Retro Game Gurus, you can find more about me and my full credits list there https://retrogamegurus.com/
I am located near Denver, Colorado, and I speak at events large and small, in person or via zoom. Contact me about your event directly at nedskee@tahquechi.com
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