A spiraling fossil of what turns out to be the teeth of an extinct shark-like fish boggled the minds of scientists for generations. Was it a weapon-like tail or a protective dorsal fin? The graphics, illustrations, words, and sculpted model in the display help tell the story of Helicoprion fossils like the one sitting behind glass in the adjacent artifact case. This display is designed to engage a broad spectrum of people with diverse learning styles and abilities, including people who are blind. Illustrations are raised and labeled in braille. A tactile model of a tooth-whorl fossil is sculpted to scale with some slopes and edges exaggerated so that people with low-vision and blindness can see through touch what sighted people are looking at behind the artifact case glass. The teeth in the model are black on bright white to optimize visibility for people with low-vision. A traditional reader rail would run along a museum wall or in front of a diorama and display descriptive text and images. This reader rail is customized to present the visual and tactile information in front and braille on the back. Braille is large, and it took creative planning and construction to provide the full braille, visual graphics, illustrations, and Helicoprion tooth-whorl model in the 20-inch horizontal exhibit space we had to work with.

This tactile Helicoprion exhibit is displayed at the Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum. Interpretive writing is by Kate Croft and Monica Stamm. Graphic design, cabinetry design for braille integration, illustrations, and sculpted Helicoprion tooth-whorl by Monica Rockwood Stamm. 

[The artifact case contains an actual Helicoprion tooth whorl fossil from the Idaho Museum of Natural History; a Helicoprion illustration on the circle panel by Linda West with interpretive writing by Mary Beth Bennis; and "Behold the Misbegotten Helicos" illustration courtesy of Ray Troll.]