World Unseen

The photography exhibition you don’t need to see – for blind, partially sighted, and sighted people – with Canon technology and the RNIB

Canon believes that everyone should be able to experience photography. That’s why we launched World Unseen, the photography exhibition you don’t need to see: an immersive experience for blind, partially sighted, and sighted people - where you don’t just see the photography, you feel it.

World Unseen makes photography more accessible and immersive for everyone. And, in doing so, it changes the way sighted people understand the visual impairment experience. It’s a privilege to work on a creative idea that means so much to so many people, and I hope it inspires others to be more inclusive in their work too.

San Sharma

Creative Director

Canon believes that everyone should be able to experience photography. But what if you can’t see it? There are 2 million people living with sight loss in the UK. When it comes to experiencing photography, they’re left in the dark.

Through its proprietary PRISMAElevate XL software and Arizona printer series, Canon is able to make photography more accessible for blind and partially sighted people through braille and tactile printing.

World Unseen is the photography exhibition you don’t need to see: an immersive experience for blind, partially sighted, and sighted people. It uses Canon technology to create photography you can feel – with incredibly lifelike tactile prints, braille, and audio descriptions direct from the photographers.

It changes the way blind and partially sighted people experience photography, the way sighted people understand the blind, and how we all see Canon. Exit polls recorded an NPS score of 70 (outstanding), 84% of visitors said they had a better understanding of the visual impairment experience, and 74% described Canon as a ‘force for good’.

Photography is an incredibly powerful medium that can push the imagination and we want this experience to be accessible to everyone. This exhibition was created with blind and partially sighted people in mind to share imagery and the stories behind them in an entirely new way. With Canon’s elevated print technology, we hope all visitors will feel a deeper connection to the emotions and stories that imaging can bring to life.