Blind and Low Vision Accessibility Framework for Museum of Glass

Abstract

How have museums been accessible to you? As museums seek to become more relevant to their communities and visitors, a major shift has been around becoming more accessible. Museum of Glass is seeking to incorporate accessible design for the blind and low vision community. The purpose of this project is to develop a framework which offers an inclusive approach for Museum of Glass staff to create and sustain accessible design in museum practice for blind and low vision visitors. The project process and development consisted of research into best practices into the field, direct community input, cross departmental collaboration with Museum of Glass, and final review with a select community advisory board. The advisory board consisted of people with low or no vision, and they provided feedback throughout the development process and conducted a final review of this project. Research and collaborative input from blind and low vision museum visitors is vital to developing accessible design and programming, showing that multi-sensory experiences and programs can greatly improve museum experiences and learning. Creating a strategy for ongoing input allows for relationship building with community members and leads to better museum experiences. The multi-sensory experiences created for accessible programs in this project can benefit all visitors' experiences. For museum staff who are constrained by financial capacity, a stage-based approach allows for an easy entry point with opportunities for broadening and deepening engagement. This framework-based approach will guide Museum of Glass through sustainable and accessible practice, to create an inclusive experience for blind or low vision visitors.