Museum Accessibility by Design

Museum Accessibility by Design PDF

Author: Maria Chiara Ciaccheri

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2022-05-23

Total Pages: 148

ISBN-13: 1538156040

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What does museum accessibility mean today? How can it generate impact in museums and in society itself? Where should we begin to take concrete action? Museum Accessibility by Design: A Systemic Approach to Organizational Change guides readers through the process of designing a museum accessibility strategy. Real world examples, tools, and resources foster implementation. This book offers a comprehensive exploration of museum accessibility, with an up-to-date and critical survey of the discipline; a detailed, step-by-step guide on how to set up a rigorous and effective process that promotes accessibility throughout the museum institution; tools and suggestions for rethinking accessibility and usability for a diverse range of museum visitors; international case studies and best practices; and, a full accessibility training course with activities and exercises aimed at fostering an accessible mindset within any institution. An engaging and accessible resource for university students, museum professionals and researchers, this book speaks to museum professionals of all types, from those just starting out to seasoned experts looking for a comprehensive, multi-faceted look at museum accessibility.

The Art of Access

The Art of Access PDF

Author: Heather Pressman

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2021-04-30

Total Pages: 231

ISBN-13: 1538130521

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The Art of Access: A Practical Guide for Museum Accessibility is a one-stop guide to the incremental ways your museum can build a comprehensive approach to accessibility that can be easily integrated into the fabric of your museum. Highlights include: Consultation with leaders in the field and calling on practitioners from across the disciplines (art, science, history, business, living collections) Concrete examples and specific resources Partnerships Physical/environmental access Sensory access Inclusive spaces, exhibitions, and programs Staff training and institutional buy-in Each chapter presents practical actions that any museum or cultural institution (regardless of the size, budget, or scope) can take to better engage and welcome visitors of all ages and abilities. This book will illuminate the incremental ways in which accessibility can be easily integrated into the fabric of museums, thus enabling institutions to better engage with audiences who would otherwise not visit the museum.

Accessible America

Accessible America PDF

Author: Bess Williamson

Publisher: NYU Press

Published: 2020-05-01

Total Pages: 290

ISBN-13: 1479802492

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A history of design that is often overlooked—until we need it Have you ever hit the big blue button to activate automatic doors? Have you ever used an ergonomic kitchen tool? Have you ever used curb cuts to roll a stroller across an intersection? If you have, then you’ve benefited from accessible design—design for people with physical, sensory, and cognitive disabilities. These ubiquitous touchstones of modern life were once anything but. Disability advocates fought tirelessly to ensure that the needs of people with disabilities became a standard part of public design thinking. That fight took many forms worldwide, but in the United States it became a civil rights issue; activists used design to make an argument about the place of people with disabilities in public life. In the aftermath of World War II, with injured veterans returning home and the polio epidemic reaching the Oval Office, the needs of people with disabilities came forcibly into the public eye as they never had before. The US became the first country to enact federal accessibility laws, beginning with the Architectural Barriers Act in 1968 and continuing through the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, bringing about a wholesale rethinking of our built environment. This progression wasn’t straightforward or easy. Early legislation and design efforts were often haphazard or poorly implemented, with decidedly mixed results. Political resistance to accommodating the needs of people with disabilities was strong; so, too, was resistance among architectural and industrial designers, for whom accessible design wasn’t “real” design. Bess Williamson provides an extraordinary look at everyday design, marrying accessibility with aesthetic, to provide an insight into a world in which we are all active participants, but often passive onlookers. Richly detailed, with stories of politics and innovation, Williamson’s Accessible America takes us through this important history, showing how American ideas of individualism and rights came to shape the material world, often with unexpected consequences.

Everyone's Welcome

Everyone's Welcome PDF

Author: John P. S. Salmen

Publisher: American Alliance of Museums

Published: 1998

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780931201530

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This manual was designed to assist museums in becoming accessible to all individuals, including people with disabilities, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 (ADA). Following an introduction that addresses museum attendance, accessibility, universal design, and different types of disabilities, chapter 1, "ADA Basics for Museums," explains the basics of the law and outlines the legal requirements of museums under the ADA. Chapter 2, "A Strategy for Accessibility," outlines a nine-step strategy of building blocks for achieving ADA compliance. The steps include: (1) accessibility statement; (2) accessibility coordinator, (3) accessibility advisory council; (4) staff training; (5) review of existing facilities and programs; (6) planning for accessibility; (7) promoting and advertising accessibility in the museum; (8) grievance procedures; and (9) ongoing review of access efforts. Chapter 3, "Accessible Facilities and Exhibits," gives a wide range of practical and specific recommendations on how museums can design accessible exhibits and programs. The final chapter, "Content Communication," presents alternative ways that museums can effectively communicate information about the content of their collections to all visitors. A 20-page resources section is provided that includes further sources of information about the ADA. (CR)

Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion in Museums

Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion in Museums PDF

Author: Johnnetta Betsch Cole

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2019-02-01

Total Pages: 183

ISBN-13: 1538118645

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Diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion in all aspects of museums’ structure and programming are top issues in the field today – and in the overall arts/culture sector. Much has been written, from various perspectives, over several decades. Yet, a lack of diversity remains and exclusive practices and inequities persist in all types of museums. A go-to resource for readers interested in learning about diversity and inclusion work in the field – past, present and future. This edited collection of the most important essays, speeches, and reports on these topics seeks to facilitate a much-needed intergenerational dialogue that builds on lessons from the past, broadens thinking about the many different facets of this complex work, and ignites inspiration for continuing to correct inequities across museums of all types, sizes, and locations. In this book compiled and edited by Dr. Johnnetta Betch Cole, who has served as both director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art and as the president of both historically Black colleges for women in the United States, Spelman College and Bennett College (a distinction she alone holds) and Laura Lott, president and CEO of the American Alliance of Museums, (the first woman to the lead the organization), thought leaders in the museum field present their research, analysis and work to answer some of the most challenge questions facing the museum field. Why do these problems persist? How can a new generation of museum leaders champion change to better represent the communities that museums strive to serve and engage? What can we learn from those who have been observing, experiencing, and writing about these issues?

Design for Accessibility

Design for Accessibility PDF

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 1994

Total Pages: 172

ISBN-13:

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This resource is designed to help you not only comply with Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, but to assist you in making access an integral part of your organization's planning, mission, programs, outreach, meetings, budget and staffing.

Evaluating Accessibility in Museums

Evaluating Accessibility in Museums PDF

Author: Laureen Trainer

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2024-06-10

Total Pages: 201

ISBN-13: 1538186322

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This book bridges accessibility and evaluation through case studies of museums that highlight the role of evaluation in accessibility work. Stories from institutions of various sizes, types, and geographical locations highlight how diverse organizations have developed and grown accessibility initiatives and the vital role that evaluation has played in their evolution. Read about different types of accessibility initiatives and how they were evaluated, the impact of these programs on disabled (and at times non-disabled) visitors, what staff and community members learned, and their conversations about iterating and moving forward. In each case, evaluating accessibility work created better more responsive institutions who value, and are in conversation, with their various communities, while demonstrating the importance of always talking, always asking, always adapting, and always using evaluation to help guide you forward.

Designing Museum Experiences

Designing Museum Experiences PDF

Author: Mark Walhimer

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2021-12-19

Total Pages: 203

ISBN-13: 1538150484

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Designing Museum Experiences is a “how-to” book for creating visitor-centered museums that emotionally and intellectually connect with museum visitors, stakeholders, and donors. Museums are changing from static, monolithic, and encyclopedic institutions to institutions that are visitor-centric, with shared authority that allows museum and visitors to become co-creators in content creation. Museum content is also changing, from static content to dynamic, evolving content that is multi-cultural and transparent regarding the evolution of facts and histories, allowing multi-person interpretations of events. Designing Museum Experiences leads readers through the methods and tools of the three stages of a museum visit (Pre-visit, In-Person Visit, and Post-visit), with a goal of motivating visitors to return and revisit the museum in the future. This museum visitation loop creates meaningful intellectual, emotional, and experiential value for the visitor. Using the business-world-proven methodologies of user centered design, Museum Visitor Experience leads the reader through the process of creating value for the visitor. Providing consistent messaging at all touchpoints (website, social media, museum staff visitor services, museum signage, etc.) creates a trusted bond between visitor and museum. The tools used to increase understanding of and encourage empathy for the museum visitor, and understand visitor motivations include: Empathy Mapping, Personas, Audience segmentation, Visitor Journey Mapping, Service Design Blueprints, System Mapping, Content Mapping, Museum Context Mapping, Stakeholder Mapping, and the Visitor Value Proposition. In the end, the reason for using the tools is to empower visitors and meet their emotional and intellectual needs, with the goal of creating a lifelong bond between museum and visitor. This is especially important as museums face a new post COVID-19 reality; only the most nimble, visitor-centered museums are likely to survive. The companion website to Designing Museum Experiences features: Links to additional visitor-centered museum information Downloadable sample documents and templates Bibliography of sources for further reading Online glossary of museum visitor experience terms Daily checklists of “how-to” provide and receive visitor-centered experiences More than 50 associated Designing Museum Experiences documents

Museums 101

Museums 101 PDF

Author: Mark Walhimer

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2015-05-28

Total Pages: 255

ISBN-13: 1442230193

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Looking for an A-Z, one-stop, comprehensive book on museums? Wish you were able to have one of the world’s leading museum consultants spend a couple of days with you, talking you through how to start a museum, how museums work, how to set up an exhibit, and more? If so, Museums 101 is the answer to your wishes. In one short volume, Mark Walhimer covers: • Essential Background, such as what is a museum, a quick history of museums, and 10 steps to starting a museum • Operational Basics, such as branding, marketing, strategic planning, governance, accessibility, and day-to-day operations • What goes on behind the scenes in a museum, ranging from finances to fundraising to art handling, exhibit management, and research • The Visitor Experience, planning a museum, designing exhibits for visitors, programming, and exhibit evaluation. Features that even the most experienced museum professionals will find useful include a community outreach checklist, a fundraising checklist, a questionnaire for people considering starting a new museum, and an exhaustive, well-organized list of online resources for museum operations. The book’s contents were overseen by a six-member international advisory board. Valuable appendixes you’ll use every day include a museum toolbox full of useful forms, checklists, and worksheets, and a glossary of essential museum-related terms. In addition to the printed book, Museums 101 also features a companion website exclusively for readers of the book. The website— museums101.com—features: • links to essential online resources in the museum world, • downloadable sample documents, • a glossary, • a bibliography of sources for further reading, and • photographs of more than 75 museums of all types. Museums 101 Advisory Board • Jim DeMersman, Executive Director, Museum on Main, Pleasanton, California, United States of America • David L. Godfrey, C.P.A., Allison & Godfrey, Certified Public Accountants, Norwalk, Connecticut, United States of America • Van A. Romans, President, Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, Fort Worth, Texas, and Board of Trustees, American Alliance of Museums, United States of America • Sergey Solovyev, Ph.D., Department of Greek & Roman Antiquities, The State Hermitage Museum, Russia • Alison Spence, Exhibitions and Loans Registrar, National Museum of Australia, Canberra ACT, Australia • Audrey Vermette, Director of Programs and Public Affairs, Canadian Museums Association, Ontario, Canada

Museum Exhibition Planning and Design

Museum Exhibition Planning and Design PDF

Author: Elizabeth Bogle

Publisher: AltaMira Press

Published: 2013-09-20

Total Pages: 419

ISBN-13: 0759122318

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Great exhibits are never an accident. Planning effective exhibits is a demanding process that requires the designer to consider many different aspects and navigate numerous pitfalls while moving a project from concept to reality. In Museum Exhibition Planning and Design, Elizabeth Bogle offers a comprehensive introduction and reference to exhibition planning and design. This book focuses on both the procedural elements of successful planning, like the phases of exhibit design and all associated tasks and issues, and on the design elements that make up the realized exhibit itself, such as color, light, shape, form, space, and building materials. This helpful guide includes: Breakdown of the design and development project phases used by professional planner/designers Principles of good design as they pertain to: color, light, shape, form, space, line, balance, accent, rhythm, proportion, and scale Criteria to evaluate an exhibit and measure its success Discussion of construction contracts and procedures Discussion of building materials and their advantages and disadvantages Glossary of museum and design terms for easy reference Bogle has translated her years of experience as an exhibition planner into a guide for practitioners of all sizes and levels of experience. For the solo practitioner, perhaps working with limited or no staff in a small institution, Bogle walks through every task that will be faced as the project develops. For the staff member of a larger institution or firm, this book serves as a checklist, reinforcing the instruction that comes from peers and previous experience. Museum Exhibition Planning and Design is a useful tool for anyone interested in or involved in bringing their exhibits to life.