Dear All: Thank-you very much for the very important information you have sent. It is extremely useful. Yes I am aware of the Universal Design concept and could not agree more. It is a matter of really opening buildings to everybody, no matter what age, which abilities or circumstances. I am grateful for the e mail addresses and other means of further information. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that even though it is an accepted fact that museums should be accesible to all, not all museums follow these parameters. Starting by brand new buildings... I think we still have a long way to go. Thank-you. All of you. Yani -----Original Message----- From: International Council of Museums Discussion List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Pat Reynolds Sent: Lunes, 18 de Agosto de 2003 10:47 a.m. To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Disabled people and cultural heritage: In message <000601c361ed$442143c0$434842c8@nombreli5fa4h5>, Herreman <[log in to unmask]> writes >Grazie, Giovanni. >Thank-you for sending this important information to ICOM members. Even >though so much has been advanced in this matter, which in architecture >is called accesability, there is still many things to do. In Mexico, in >the Architecture School, I am orgabizing a Seminar on this issue mainly >to create a) awareness of the issue and b) promote de international >standards on accesibability. So, if there is someone who may send me >information on this matter, please send them to me via this List. > Dear Herreman, The Museum and Gallery Disability Association is based in Britain, but has a very international outlook, with an international membership, and regularly reporting on developments beyond our shores in its journal, BarrierFree: see http://www.magda.org.uk/ You may already be aware of the concept of 'universal design', which I have found very useful. Ron Mace has defined universal design as "the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design". I like * the equal attention to 'products' and 'environments', (which reminds us that 'access to the museum environment' is not the same thing as 'access to the museum's "products" - often when access is considered (in Britain, at least), the first thought is of access for wheelchair users. We think far too infrequently of the other 'products' which we assume are available 'to all': from the opportunity to volunteer as a tour guide, or become a trustee, to the opportunity to support the museum by making an on-line donation) * the emphasis on 'all people' - not 'the disabled' - this holistic approach means that designers need not focus on 'disability', but upon 'user needs' - as an approach it accepts diversity, and does not see it as 'a problem to be solved' (or, worse, a problem which lies with 'the disabled', and has nothing to do with the museum). If a building is designed to be accessible for wheelchair users, this often means it is accessible to families using push-chairs or prams - and if a building is designed to be 'family friendly', this often means it is designed to be 'wheelchair user friendly'; a design solution which means that information is available to people with sensory impairment can often make it more accessible to people who are working in a second language; and so on. * the cost effectiveness; More about universal design can be found at: http://www.design.ncsu.edu/ cud/ Not the question you asked, but if you are interested in the cultural heritage of people with disabilities, you might like the H-NET List for the History of Disabilities <[log in to unmask]>. Best wishes to all, Pat Pat Reynolds Surrey Museums Development Officer / Research Student, Department of Archaeology, University of York -- Pat Reynolds [log in to unmask] "It might look a bit messy now, but just you come back in 500 years time" (T. Pratchett) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Change ICOM-L subscription options, unsubscribe, and search the archives at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/icom-l.html - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Change ICOM-L subscription options, unsubscribe, and search the archives at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/icom-l.html