In article <[log in to unmask]>, [log in to unmask]
wrote:
>grateful that many labels and exhibits in our museum are at a convenient
>height for him to enjoy from his chair, but his walking companions, of about
>the same age, complained that THEY were unable to read some of these same
>labels because they were at an inconvenient height; they didn't think they
>should be forced to stoop and contort themselves, at their age, to read
>labels that seemed too low! What to do?
Why not two sets of labels, one high and one low? Or duplicating photos
and labels on exhibits in a binder, so they can be used by someone who
doesn't want to or can't physically attend the exhibit? Makes a great
tool for museum outreach, and also a permanent record of the exhibit.
Or a sheet with label text, available at the door, for the visitors
to take with them? Or a laminated sheet with label texts, for visitors
to return when done? Not every solution will fit every visitor --
and most of us with various and sundry handicaps/disabilities/"different
abilities" (gag!) recognize this and try to explain what *would work*
for us. Staff who are willing to help and come up with spur-of-the-
moment solutions are perhaps a museum's greatest resource in this area.
For instance, in visiting a horticultural display garden with someone
who could not bend to smell the roses, I stooped down to get some
fallen petals so she could get at least part of the fragrance. A
gardener observing me, and my friend's stiff walk, scribbled a quick
note, tore it out of his pocket notebook, and told me that I was welcome
to pick single flowers for her perusal. If questioned about it, we were
to show the note. Simple, but non-traditional, solution to the problem.
Wouldn't work in an art museum, but did there.
> (It would be nice to get this back on a museum track anyway, instead of
>dwelling narrowly on political and economic philosophy.) As a visually
>oriented person (especially photographs), I'm particularly interested in the
>implications of the ADA for the way museums can (or can't) serve visually
>handicapped people. A few months ago a museum official surveyed our archival
>research center for handicapped access, and asserted that our textual
>collections (several million pages' worth) ultimately would all have to be
>translated into Braille to accommodate the blind for compliance with ADA. I
>didn't even broach the subject of our pictorial collections (Braille
photographs???)...
Braille is unusable for a large number of blind people, especially those
who have lost most or all of their sight in their later years, like my
mother. On the other hand, Kurzweil readers or their equivalent
in computer hardware or software will allow access to printed materials
not just to someone who can't see or can't see well, but also to those
who are dyslexic or don't read English, but can understand it. Print
materials are "translated" then and there. It's probably also possible
to scan and translate into braille "on the fly" -- I just haven't seen it
done.
Likewise, I've seen equipment that can convert, say, a map, into
a textured surface of pins of various heights that can be "read" by
someone familiar with the technique. The system I saw was very clumsy
and not terribly user-friendly, but I suspect better (and cheaper!)
systems are coming. Maybe your "braille photographs" aren't so far
behind.
ADA requires good-faith attempts to allow access to public accomodations
for everyone. It does not mandate unreasonable alterations to the
physical structure of a building, nor does it mandate "solutions" that
would leave the entity essentially bankrupt. I'll provide a
reference to a web site for the actual text of the ADA, and current
interpretations in another post.
Finally, if you're ever out at OMSI, the Oregon Museum of Science and
Industry, in Portland, Oregon, you might want to take a look at
our "accessible house" and "accessible office" exhibits in Life Science
Hall, and see how technology (and some forethought) increases the possibility
of self-reliance for many individuals with handicaps. You can ride a
wheelchair up and down the house ramps (but not the steps!), check out
the visual fire and phone alarms, try a Kurzweil reader or a TTDY, et al.
Or you can compare the videotaped tour of our submarine, the Blueback,
with the "real thing". Then, if you want, stop over in Earth Science
and say hi... but you may have to tap me on the shoulder if I'm not
facing you ;-) And please don't ask me to repeat the pages... I'll
dial the front desk for you, and you can ask ;-)
And yes, when we get the cash, I'm hoping we can put in a visual
paging system for those of us who don't hear well. It won't
happen soon, but we've figured some workarounds. (For instance,
if I'm working in Earth Science by myself, I talk to the folks
next door in Life Science. If something I need to know comes over
the paging system or the walkie-talkies used by staff, they come
see me immediately. It's a no-cost solution.)
If you see a dog in a volunteer jacket, that's Brodie, a service
dog who, with his person, is also an "accessibility exhibit". Stop
and say hi... Brodie isn't "working" when he's in an OMSI uniform.
And if you see a *lot* of dogs with a lot of kids, it's probably
the 4-H'ers with their puppies, working on crowd socialization
for dogs that might be selected for training as service animals.
The other big resource museums have is access to people with various
handicaps in their own community. Ask them "what do you need to
make our museum work for you"? You may find all sorts of creative
and inexpensive solutions, and a whole new segment of audience for
your programs and exhibits.
And for those of you who haven't thought about being TABS now,
I *highly* recommend John Hockenberry's 1994 book _Moving Violations_,
about his life before and after the car accident that left him
parapelegic. Hockenberry is perhaps best known as an NPR reporter--
the sections in the book comparing accessibility in Palestine,
Jerusalem, and New York City are excellent. The whole book is
honest, funny, maddening, thought-provoking.
Kay Lancaster [log in to unmask] OMSI volunteer docent
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