The Argentine city of Santa Fe has launched a new flag. It was officially raised on November 14, coinciding with the 452nd anniversary of its founding, and was presented as a symbol of identity, belonging and union to reflect the relevance of what is the provincial capital in the construction of the Argentine State. And it has been accompanied by an inclusive version.
“Santa Fe can now touch, feel and hear its flag”
It is, as reported by the city government, the first tactile, three-dimensional and audio-described version of the new symbol of Santa Fe, and it is designed so that people with visual disabilities can also enjoy and feel it. “Santa Fe can now touch, feel and hear its flag”; the government has commented on social networks when sharing the initiative. “We add technology and design for an inclusive city”.
The accessible flag has been developed together with the Design areas, belonging to the General Directorate of Public Communication and Institutional Relations, and the Municipal Disability Commission, made up of various associations, NGOs and local groups. The project is part of the inclusion and accessible communication policies.
To make it possible, different technologies have been used, including 3D printing and haptic planes. The result is a three-dimensional tactile model that represents the graphic, chromatic and structural components of the flag through different textures and height levels. In this way, the perception and interpretation of the new identity symbol of the city is facilitated.
In addition, the prototype is accompanied by an audio description available on the city’s official channel on Spotify. Access to the resource is also being facilitated through QR codes in various communications.
The flag presented represents a first model worked with blind people and people with low vision. However, the intention of the Santa Fe government is to continue working on the prototype to refine details and then reproduce it to share it with other institutions.
The new flag of Santa Fe
The accessible version of the flag is a translation of the new symbol, which has emerged from a public competition held last year with the intention of strengthening local identity. The winning proposal, among the 67 presented, was that of Jeremías De Mattía. Matías Bonfiglio, art teacher, cultural manager and plastic artist, has been in charge of the graphic readjustment of the original sketch.
The flag includes the city’s Suspension Bridge; the Constitution, evoking the creation of the Magna Carta of Argentina in Santa Fe in 1853; and two laurels surround and exalt these elements. In addition, it has a lower strip that represents water, and another upper one that alludes to the goodness of the city.
