How ironic,
Valerie!
I am also an
occupational therapist (and certified orthotist, who makes splints and braces
for people with disabilities). I have worked not only in museums, but in
higher education and the corporate world as well, so do strategic planning and
change management as well.
Now that I am
consulting, I work with quite a few museums to make the physical facility more
accessible (by developing something called a Transition Plan, which identifies
what is not accessible, how to correct it and make it more accessible along with
an estimated cost). I also conduct disability awareness training for
museum staff and volunteers so they are less hesitant about approaching or
talking with people who have disabilities in a museum. I have found that
staff and volunteers especially in the areas of education and guest services
benefit from this type of training.
Museums would
serve themselves and their visitors by thinking about accessibility issues while
planning new exhibits and rennotaving existing ones. This includes
thinking about the type of font used in graphic interpretives, font size and
amount of print on the sign. High contrast in colors is also a good idea
-- with dark lettering on a lighter background usually easier on the eyes.
In thinking about older guests, it is important to think about larger print
items -- for maps, guidebooks and interpretives. And for our guests who
are hard of hearing or who are deaf, it is important to have print versions of
any audio tour that is given. It is also important to have occasional
seating throughout the museum, for elderly people, younger people on crutches
after foot surgery or someone with AIDS who tires easily can sit and rest before
continuing on their visit. Simply by offering this type of seating,
museums lengthen someone's visit. If there is no place to sit down,
visitors in need simply say "I'm tired, let's go home."
That is just
for starters, of course. The most important thing to remember is that any
changes for people with disabilities benefit ALL visitors. So changes are
not being made "just in case someone rolls in with a wheelchair" or "in case
someone who is blind" happens by.
Kind
regards,
Terrie
Terrie Nolinske,
Ph.D.
www.tniconsultants.com
[log in to unmask]
TNI Consultants
in Professional Development
930 North Boulevard
Oak Park, Illinois
60301
708. 386. 1331
Reading some the discussion on making a
museum more accessible and more meaningful for people with disabilities, I'm
wondering if there is anyone else out there who is both an Occupational
Therapist and works in a Museum, or am I the only one? Also, for all you
museum professionals who work towards increasing accessibility and
sensory exploration in your museums, where did you learn about
this? Thanks,
Valerie
=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:
The Museum-L FAQ file is located at
http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed
information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message
to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help"
(without the quotes).
If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to
[log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff
Museum-L" (without the quotes).
=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:
The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).
If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).