The Phoebe Project, inspired by Paul Goulet’s friend’s daughter, Phoebe, aims to enhance accessibility in learning about wildlife for visually impaired individuals. Phoebe, who was born visually impaired, expressed her love for lions in a unique way, prompting Paul to create an initiative that fosters understanding of animal sizes and proportions through tactile experiences.

Paul introduced a life-sized Black Rhino sculpture to Phoebe’s school, allowing students to physically interact with it, deepening their understanding of the animal’s scale.

Our new exhibit, Dragons, at Ripley’s Aquarium in Toronto, is the debut of this initiative and the first in the world to offer hands-on tactile sculptures for each live animal, allowing visitors to touch and feel the scale of them behind the glass. 

The Phoebe Project invites institutions to collaborate and improve accessibility experiences for all. We aim to share ideas and resources to enhance learning through interaction.