The Touch ’n Match project responds to the pressing need for more inclusive, innovative, and audience-diversifying practices in the cultural and creative sectors (CCS). Despite the EU’s strong commitment to inclusion, accessibility, and the digital transition, blind and visually impaired individuals continue to face systemic barriers to participation in visual cultural spheres, particularly in fashion – a sector often defined by aesthetics, sight, and visual norms. This exclusion reflects a broader structural gap: the lack of tools, practices, and platforms that allow blind individuals to participate fully, creatively, and independently in cultural life.
Touch ’n Match fills this gap through the co-creation, testing, and public showcasing of an AI-powered mobile application that makes fashion exploration and design accessible to people who are blind or visually impaired. The app, developed by Asociația Alfabetul Scripor and refined with users across three countries, translates colours, textures, and outfit logic into multisensory experiences, combining tactile feedback, audio descriptions, and the internationally recognised Scripor tactile colour alphabet. These functionalities are complemented by co-creation workshops and a public inclusive fashion show at Transilvania Fashion Festival, where blind participants act as stylists, models, and creative contributors.
The project is directly aligned with Call Objective 2 – Innovation: to enhance the capacity of European cultural and creative sectors to nurture talents, to innovate, to prosper and to generate jobs and growth. It contributes to this objective by piloting and validating an AI-based fashion assistant app, co-designed with blind users, that transforms style-related elements such as colour, texture, and outfit coordination into audio-tactile experiences—using voice guidance, sound cues, and tactile symbols (such as the Scripor tactile colour code) to make fashion accessible beyond visual perception. Through this process, the project introduces new methodologies for audience engagement and design-thinking, while also promoting capacity-building among cultural professionals, designers, accessibility advocates, and end-users. The project’s strong cross-border partnership – linking Romania, Poland, and Austria – supports knowledge exchange and mutual learning across different cultural contexts, enhancing the EU-wide relevance and transferability of the results.
Objectives
The project will seek to address these needs by achieving the following specific objectives:
- Refine and validate the first ever accessible fashion app for blind and visually impaired users in Europe
- Foster inclusive co-creation and representation in fashion
- Strengthen capacity and innovation in the CCS
- Enable cross-border knowledge exchange and ecosystem growth
Work Packages
- Project Management, Coordination and Evaluation (Lead: Polylogos): Ensures effective coordination, risk monitoring, financial oversight, and evaluation. Activities include regular partner meetings (online and in-person), quality assurance, and internal reporting. The WP also oversees monitoring of indicators, risk mitigation, and end-of-project evaluation.
- User Engagement and Co-Creation (Lead: CHANCE & AABVI, supported by all): Engages blind and visually impaired participants through co-creation workshops in Romania, Poland, and Austria. Participants test the app, provide structured feedback, and begin styling and self-expression activities with the support of trained mentors. RFC offers artistic mentoring; Polylogos provides facilitation, inclusive pedagogy, and learning outcomes evaluation.
- App Refinement and Technical Development (Scripor): Based on user feedback, SCRIPOR improves the app interface, tactile and audio logic, and style recommendation functions. The final public version (v1.0) is validated across partner countries. Polylogos supports accessibility review and user validation; CHANCE and AABVI coordinate additional testing.
- Inclusive Fashion Show Planning and Production (RFC): Participants from all three countries co-design and present an inclusive fashion show in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, in partnership with Transilvania Fashion Festival (Associated Partner). The show demonstrates the app’s impact and promotes inclusive aesthetics. Polylogos leads stakeholder engagement and public awareness activities.
- Dissemination and Exploitation (Lead: Polylogos): Ensures visibility, knowledge sharing, and long-term uptake of the results. Includes branding, communications, website updates, and strategic outreach. Outputs include a final video, multilingual policy brief, and replication guide. All partners support dissemination in their countries and professional sectors.
Each work package builds toward the project’s dual aim: (1) developing a usable, inclusive digital tool for blind and visually impaired users, and (2) transforming how culture and fashion include and represent disability. The inclusive fashion show is a core milestone, not an add-on; it serves as a public demonstration of innovation, empowerment, and inclusive creativity in action.
Consortium Partners
Technical Details
| Project Title: | Touch and Match: A Fashion Show By, With and For Blind and VI People (Touch ’n Match) |
| Timeline: | 1 March 2026 — 30 April 2027 (14 Months) |
| Granting Authority: | European Education and Culture Executive Agency (CREA-CULT-2025-COOP) |
| Project Location: | Romania, Poland, Austria |
| Beneficiaries: | Blind and visually impaired individuals; fashion professionals and designers; cultural and creative sector professionals; and policy makers, educators and inclusion advocates |
| Coordinator: | Polylogos (Romania) |
| Partners: | Scripor (RO) RFC (RO) CHANCE (PL) AABVI (AT) |
| Contact: | contact@polylogos.eu |
