Emphasis on Inclusion
Cultural Differences in ARCHES, a European Participatory Research Project: Our Experiences of Working with Mixed Access Preferences in Different Cultural Heritage Sites
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Rotraut Krall, Felicitas Sisinni, Helena Garcia Carrizosa, Jara Diaz
ARCHES (Accessible Resources for Cultural Heritage EcoSystems) is a Horizon 2020 funded project. ARCHES involves partners in Heritage and Technology across Europe. It will develop online resources, software applications and multisensory technologies to enable access to Cultural Heritage Sites within and beyond the project. The project is working with four research groups consisting of people with differences and difficulties associated with perception, memory, cognition and communication. The four groups are spread throughout Europe. One group is based in London that served as a pilot for the project. This group started in January 2017. The second group is based in Madrid starting in November 2017. The third group will start in Oviedo in January 2018 and the fourth group will start in February 2018 in Vienna. A key factor discussed within literature related to embedding technologies and participatory practices within museums is confusion about the nature of participation. The papers seeks to clarify how participation is experienced across international contexts. This is explored in relation to recruitment, understanding of participatory research and definitions of disability. This paper will share our ways of working with the participants and the impact of working within different cultural environments upon those ways of working. It will consider lessons which might be learned for future international participatory projects.
Listening with Your Eyes: An Accessible Van Gogh Museum for Visitors Who Are Deaf or Hard-of-hearing
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Mirjam Eikelenboom
Accessibility is high on the agenda of Dutch museums, especially since the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In this paper, the Van Gogh Museum shares how accessibility has been tackled organization-wide. How does the integral approach to accessibility throughout the organization work? As a case study, the museum discusses the developments in the field of accessibility for visitors who are deaf and hard-of-hearing. This started with research carried out by Roos Wattel (Wat Telt!) about the needs of the deaf and hearing-impaired visitors. After this, steps have been taken towards a multimedia tour in sign language. The museum shares research results and practical tips and tricks, towards an inclusive museum sector.
Arteguía: Bringing Art Closer to Visually Impaired People
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Erich Gruttner
In this study, we discuss a technical development trying to answer the question: Is it possible that visually impaired people can "see" the art? Probably, the answer is no, but we believe that it is possible to construct a similar multi-sensorial experience. In the Pinacoteca of the University of Concepción a project was developed that integrates 3D printing, "iBeacons," a gyroscope, floor guides, and mobile applications to bring the art closer to visually impaired people. This paper highlights the challenge, the experience, and the results of the experience.
Enjoying Art with Cognitive Impairment: A Case Study From Prato, Italy
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Francesca Pandolfi
The global challenge that dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are posing to our generation has made cultural institutions more and more aware of the importance of organising activities tailored to the needs of those affected by these debilitating illnesses, both directly (patients) and indirectly (family and professionals caregivers). The project ‘Work in Progress’, organised by Museo del Tessuto (Textile Museum) and Centro per l’Arte Contemporanea Pecci (Pecci Centre) in Prato gave the possibility to people living in four nursing homes to leave their everyday environment to experience unique activities in the prestigious context of two museums of their city. The study targeted a group that participated in the second cycle of the project, and aimed, through observation and a qualitative research, to collect the opinions and evaluations of professional caregivers, in order to understand their perception of the benefits that the programme might have had on people living in nursing homes. The operators were unanimous in saying that the experience was positive and that they saw an improvement of some kind (in the mood, the manifestation of symptoms, in their interaction) in the guests they had accompanied. The research hopes to serve as a starting point for other institutions, by triggering other similar projects in different areas.
