The normative framework for addressing disability issues has been broadly outlined in chapter 2.2., and may be defined as the most comprehensive by far in terms of promoting accessibility for audiences “with special needs”.
Efforts to provide a broad overview of an often fragmented cultural offer have also been made in the past few years, as shown by the following two examples:
- The A.D. Arte portal, funded by the Ministry of Culture – DG Museums, provides information on the accessibility features of national museums and archaeological areas[1];
- The MAPS project, launched in 2018 by ENS – Ente Nazionale Sordi (National Agency for the Deaf) and co-financed by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy[2], aims to create an online platform for showcasing museums/cultural sites with accessibility services for deaf people[3], to organise training courses on museum accessibility across Italy for deaf young people (aged 18-35), and to build a network for effective cooperation between public administrations, arts institutions and non-profit organisations.
Both in terms of policies and practices, however, the focus is still predominantly on removing barriers – whether they be physical, sensory or cognitive – rather than on promoting the creative potential of persons with disabilities. As a matter of fact, the increasing claim of the latter to be engaged as cultural actors and decision-makers, rather than as passive “users” of mainstream services and tools (e.g. sign language / tactile tours, Braille labels, easy-to-read guides), is by far the most interesting development of the past few years in the heritage sector.
A couple of examples in line with this audience-led shift in perspectives:
- MAXXI – National Museum of 21st century Arts launched a participatory project called “Mixt”[4] in collaboration with ENS, the Italian Union of Blind and Visually Impaired People, and the National Federation of Pro-Blind Institutions. A team of deaf and visually impaired people with different educational backgrounds, museum professionals and IT experts developed narrative trails to help all visitors discover MAXXI’s architecture from new perspectives.
- Another interesting interactive project, “Ocean Space”, addresses the difficult issue of sign language glossaries through an unusual lens[5]. Curated by a museum accessibility expert in collaboration with ENS, its goal is to create a shared glossary of signs relating to the oceans and climate emergency by actively involving the Italian deaf community, and with the scientific support of the Institute of Marine Sciences.
The National Recovery and Resilience Plan recently presented by Italy is aimed to remove architectural, sensory and cognitive barriers in museums, libraries and archives, as well as to promote a “culture of accessibility” (Mission 1) also through the training of qualified personnel. This initiative is likely to have a significant impact on the heritage sector and its ability to address the “special needs” of persons with disabilities, although a radical shift in mentality is still needed to deal with the equally important issues of representation, new interpretive perspectives and staff diversity.
In this respect, theatre has traditionally been far more groundbreaking and experimental.
[1] https://www.accessibilitamusei.beniculturali.it/en/site/index
[2] https://progettomaps.ens.it
[3] https://www.accessibitaly.it/en/
[5] https://www.ocean-space.org/it/education/abecedarium-lis
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