May 17, 2022
Meet Brian Anderson, Clovernook Center’s Arts & Accessibility Coordinator. He works with cultural institutions to make their programs and products accessible for individuals who are blind or visually impaired (BVI) through braille and tactile graphics. Brian has worked at Clovernook Center for over 10 years. Now, he is the recipient of the Peter J. Salmon Employee of the Year Award for his work achievements and his advocacy for individuals who are BVI.
Brian was born with Nystagmus, which causes repetitive and involuntary eye movement from side to side, up and down or in a circle. Living with Nystagmus can impact a person’s vision, balance, coordination and depth perception. It has prevented Brian from seeing far distances and from operating a motor vehicle.
When talking with Brian, you’ll discover that he is passionate about poetry. He is a successful author of two poetry books, and he teaches poetry writing and the history of hip-hop to students through a program with Elementz Hip Hop Cultural Art Center. “Writing poetry became an outlet to help me feel better,” said Brian. He has promoted local artists by featuring their talents on his YouTube channel in a series called “The Mic Drop with B. Anderson,” which he produces himself. In addition to poetry, Brian’s musical aspirations have led him to create a spoken word album which will be released this year.
In Brian’s spare time, he enjoys spending time with his children, listening to hip-hop music, watching movies, and following his favorite Los Angeles teams (Lakers, Dodgers, Chargers, Rams and the Sparks). He also loves watching WWE wrestling and expanding his gym shoe collection.
As part of the Arts & Accessibility program at Clovernook Center, Brian had the opportunity to work on a project for the American Sign Museum, which involved making a Big Boy statue accessible for museum guests who are BVI. He surveyed individuals who are BVI by using a tactile image draft so that they could decide what was important when interpreting the image through touch. After receiving their input, a final tactile image was created to highlight the statue’s key attributes. Those adaptations, along with an audio description, provide a more enjoyable experience for museum guests who are BVI.
Brian is such an asset to Clovernook Center and we would like to congratulate him as the 2022 Employee of the Year Award recipient. We appreciate Brian’s skills and creativity in making the community more accessible for individuals who are blind or visually impaired.
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