Sixteenth International Conference on the Inclusive Museum

Abstract

This paper discusses the process of making Copernicus Science Centre (Warsaw, Poland) more accessible and inclusive for d/Deaf and blind persons. We share our inspiring practice, advocating for “Community Voice, Improving Accessibility” or “nothing about us without us”. We present accessibility challenges faced by science centers. The description of the intervention focuses on the disability studies framework that implies inclusion, participation, and accessibility of the research process. We present the main challenges of the research process including sampling and data collection. Among research methods, there were sociological observations and group discussions with disabled people. They aim to reconstruct the experience of the visit to the Copernicus Science Centre and to consult actions that should be undertaken to make it accessible without giving up its mode of conduct (individual path and intimate experience). The research process was accompanied by awareness-raising training for the center’s employees. As a result, a series of facilities was implemented, e.g. typhoonplanes of building, audio description of the exhibits, induction loop, and paths for the visually impaired.