Arts And Cultural Initiatives - Museum Accessibility
As a partner and resource in identifying the needs of individuals with disabilities we can assist arts and cultural institutions in facilitating access and participation to a wider audience.
Exhibition Related
- Consultation on exhibition design as it relates to usability, access and technology for the benefit of people with disabilities with emphasis on Universal Design
Program Feedback
- Consultation on exhibition design as it relates to usability, access and technology for the benefit of people with disabilities with emphasis on Universal Design
Staff Training
- Consultation on exhibition design as it relates to usability, access and technology for the benefit of people with disabilities with emphasis on Universal Design
Abilities! is working collaboratively with 3 museums to implement an access initiative in each. The museums are, Nassau County Museum of Art (NCMA), The Queens Museum of Art (QMA) and the South Street Seaport Museum (SSSM). At the Seaport, staff training and website improvements will increase access; at the Queens Museum, a Touch Table will be created to add tactility to the Panorama exhibit and at the Nassau County Museum of Art will be adding additional sculptures and Braille labels to their current project.
In an effort to increase access to a
world class outdoor sculpture exhibit, Abilities! disability, technology and art
specialists collaborated with the education staff at the museum to design and implement
access features that will enhance the museum experience for visitors with mobility
and vision issues.
Selected sculptures were identified, photographed, described and with basic biographical information about the artists, made available for viewing at a computerized kiosk containing the images and text. The kiosk located in the front lobby of the museum means that visitors can obtain information without having to travel to the sculptures. In addition, a number of sculptures were selected for touch tours accompanied by tactile raised line images and verbal descriptions so that individuals who are blind can take a guided tour by listening to the description of the tactile image they are feeling and then the outdoor sculptures they can touch.
This project was funded by the National Endowment for the Arts.
MAC consists of representatives from various museum departments throughout the New York City Metropolitan area and members and representatives of the disability community. Members of MAC exchange information, ideas and resources and provide a network of mutual support.
Museum Access Consortium members include over 60 cultural institutions from the metropolitan NYC area that are diverse in size and type of institution as well as service organizations, educational institutions, design firms and consultants. The Museum Access Consortium includes among its members persons with personal and professional experience with disabilities and accessibility. The total number of participants in MAC representing institutions, organizations, consultants, and disability advocates is 140.
The Museum Access Consortium (MAC) strives to enable people with disabilities to access cultural facilities of all types. We define accessibility broadly, to include architectural, physical, communication, attitudinal and other forms of access. We take as a basic tenet that increasing accessibility for people with disabilities increases accessibility for everyone.
- Regular meetings addressing topics in accessibility
- Opportunities to network, share ideas and build support in your efforts to make your institution accessible
- Outings to metropolitan area cultural institutions and service organizations to view accessibility components
MAC is free to join and we welcome your participation in attending meetings, sharing information, hosting or co-hosting a meeting.
Please download and fill out the following form.
Then return it to:
Fran Prezant
Abilities!
Research and Evaluation Center
201 IU Willets Road
Albertson, New York 11507
516-465-1601 email: fprezant@abilitiesonline.org