As I described earlier, a museum’s accessibility is not a true or false, for that matter, it never will be, but it is a continuous progress towards inclusion and exceptional accessibility. But if you feel that your museum could be more accessible, there is quite a bit you can do. It will not be an overnight process, but there is a lot you can do right now, practically at no or minimal cost to get started.
Take an inventory
The first step is to take an inventory of what aspects of your museum are accessible. You will be surprised, there will be quite a bit, just to mention a few:
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Your building most likely already complies with the ADA requirements, and people with wheelchairs or strollers are able to navigate it.
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You may already have rest areas for people who occasionally need to sit down.
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You may already have some quiet rooms for people who are overwhelmed by sensory input.
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You may already have large labels and large print descriptions for people with visual impairment.
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You may already have several artifacts to touch for blind people, not to mention that kids would also love it.
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If you used an accessible content management system, your online content may by default already be somewhat accessible.
Most likely, there is much more.
Commit to accessibility today
After you have your inventory, my suggestion is to stop the bleeding, and commit to accessibility right now as much as possible. Maybe not much is in place, maybe not much is possible right now and that’s ok. But work towards it, because it is much faster and cheaper to make something accessible from the beginning than to fix it later. For now, identify what part of your future work you can do differently to implement any level of accessibility. Even if just building processes around what you did well based on your inventory, and make a commitment that you will maintain it.
Train your staff about accessibility
One way to accelerate accessible practices is to have clear direction on what needs to be done. One way to do it is to get your entire staff on the same page with accessibility, by organizing training sessions. Again, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Start small, maybe bring in somebody who can provide a disability awareness session and talk about the needs of people with disabilities. We can get back to more complex training later. For now, make sure that it is not only the organization, but the individuals working there have a commitment to accessibility.
Prioritize
When you are ready to take major actions on improving certain aspects of your museum, create a roadmap based on priorities. What are the things that you can do right now that will make a difference? What are the low hanging fruits? Can you think of people with certain disabilities who couldn’t benefit from your museum? What can you do to be somewhat inclusive for them? Are there any aspects where you are legally not compliant, for example physical accessibility or web presence? What can you do to make your museum not just accessible but exceptionally inclusive?
Assess your online presence for accessibility
Your web site and social media accounts will be the first touch point to your clients. Ensure that you take all the above steps to make it more inclusive.
Work on your accessibility page
Often I find that museums don’t give themselves enough credit about accessibility. Check your inventory you created, and let people know what aspects of your museum are accessible. Don’t just check the boxes, this is the place where you can sell your services, and let people with disabilities know that it is worth visiting.
Conclusion
The above points just barely scratch the surface. There is a lot you can do to be inclusive, but for the time being these ideas will give you a starting point that you can begin implementing immediately. You will be surprised how much you will be able to do at a minimum time and cost investment.
Let me know if you have any questions, or if I can help you make your museum accessible and inclusive.
