Eleventh International Conference on The Inclusive Museum

Abstract

The museum’s audience is formed by a group of heterogeneous individuals, which have very different specific needs. The group of people with disabilities, need ramps, easy read, and rest points, among others, to be able to access culture. However, at the same time, these same needs are common to other groups, such as families, the elderly, pregnant women, or foreigners who don’t understand the language. It is the application of the concept of universal accessibility, which leads us to design spaces and services available to a wider range of potential users. Working in the museum for physical and cognitive access allows us to receive visitors in conditions of equality, security, and comfort. Although it doesn’t guarantee a bidirectional interaction with the public and with the agents of the community (civil society, schools,companies, research centers, administration), since this is only possible through participation. Participation in the design, creation, or management of the exhibitions gives the public a significant role to establish links with the museum. We define different forms of participation that involve different degrees of commitment between the public and the museum. We analyze the case study of the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian American. This is a participatory museum based on a regular process of co-creation of its exhibitions with the local community, in a neighborhood of the city of Seattle (USA). The application of this participatory model translates into a greater flow of visitors and guarantees the social and economic sustainability of the museum itself.