NEWS

Summary:

Itxaropena, the Association of People with Visual Disabilities in Álava, has created the first fully accessible street mural in the Basque Country, located on the facade of their headquarters in the Zabalgana neighborhood of Vitoria-Gasteiz. Spanning 40 meters wide and 3 meters tall on the corner of Labastida and Portal de Zuazo streets, the mural — titled Una mirada en los sentidos (“A Gaze Through the Senses”) — was officially inaugurated on October 9, 2025, after three years of collaborative work.

The project was led by muralist Veronica Werckmeister, who coordinated various community groups from the neighborhood and the city to design and paint the work. To ensure full accessibility for blind and visually impaired visitors, the project also produced a 3D scale model of the mural that can be explored by touch, an audio description accessible via QR code, and informational plaques in braille and printed text — tools that together make it a first-of-its-kind artwork in the region.

Werckmeister highlighted the deeply social and community-driven nature of the project, noting that what united the participants was not just their neighborhood or association, but shared values of collaboration, support, and advocacy. She expressed particular pride in the 3D model, describing it as something entirely new to her and a meaningful step toward making public art truly accessible to everyone.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​