Eleventh International Conference on The Inclusive Museum

Abstract

Visitors with disabilities are subject to a number of internal and external pressures that are reshaping their experience and the types of barriers confronted by them in museums. This study argues that current heritage and tourism management lacks adequate approaches regarding integration and social inclusion of visitors with disabilities. Very few academic or practice-based studies have been published on visitors with disabilities’ museum experiences and none has been conducted in Jordan. This study examines the accessibility and architectural barriers confronted by visitors with physical disabilities in a Jordanian museum. The research question seeks to understand the architectural barriers encountered by visitors with disabilities at the museum. A key focus of the study is on how the museum was designed. Other areas include the impact of accessibility barriers on visitors with disabilities and their visit experience. The study orientation is a qualitative case study. Study material was collected through observations and interviews with people with disabilities, interviews with staff members, observations of museum work, and documentation. Data analysis focuses on generating descriptions and interpretation of the current accessibility situation of visitors with disabilities. Findings reveal that initiative toward inclusion is desired by the museum organization, which is embedded within the work of a broad range of architectural and organizational areas.