Abstract
Central to the modern museum sector practice are the principles of access, inclusion, diversity, sustainability, and community participation. Museums of Egypt are morally and legally required to provide reasonable accommodations to remain relevant to the diversifying population. Despite recent legal and accessibility reforms in compliance with the Egyptian 2030 Sustainable Development Goals -SDGs, many initiatives fail to provide inclusive access for disabled people. Although the national government acknowledges disability rights and access have slowly increased in some of the latest museums in Egypt, progress is arguably hindered by two significant barriers. The first barrier is the prevailing bias in society towards the medical/charity model of disability underpins understanding of access. While museums have the potential to address this issue, their role as social institutions beyond education and culture is not yet fully recognized by the state, creating a second barrier. However, there is an opportunity for Egyptian museums to play a more prominent role in addressing these barriers and promoting an inclusive society. This paper discusses the crucial role museums in Egypt can play in challenging these barriers and promoting social inclusion, mainly how museums can confront ableist biases in Egyptian society and transform thinking about disability. The research examines the level of accessibility in Egyptian museums, assessing its current position and the future direction it should be heading. It also proposes actionable steps that can be taken in research, practice, and policy in pursuit of a more equitable and inclusive society for all.
Presenters
Nevine Nizar ZakariaPost-Doctoral Fellow; Director, Museology Department, Wurzburg University; Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Germany
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2024 Special Focus—Intersectionality: Museums, Inclusion, and SDGs
KEYWORDS
Disability, Accessibility, Egyptian Museums, Barriers, Community Partnership, Inclusion, SDGs
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