May 9, 2018 - 19:57
For the CDS final paper I plan to analyze museum accessibility and accommodations for children on the Autism spectrum. The rhetoric and activism around museum accessibility tends to center physical accommodations, but the needs of those with learning or developmental disabilities, not so much. Fortunately, improvements are being made to accommodations of such children; for instance, as we have seen in class, "social stories" can be very helpful in adjusting young visitors with Autism to the bustling museum space. Other alternatives include online 'before-you-go' tours and interactive maps to plan the family or class visit (the Met Museum, for example). With this in mind I wanted to further explore the options available to families of children with ASDs and their place in neuro/typical spaces such as the museum.
Question number one: what sensory accommodations currently exist as baseline program requirements? My own research on this so far has not turned up many results. For instance, the social stories practice tends to be widespread among American museum spaces, but I can't find many statistics on how many museums also offer individual guided group tours, or quiet spaces, or multi-sensory/touch-friendly exhibits.
Question number two: what museums offer the widest range of resources for such families? What are their options?
These are my two main inquiries, but I also have other sub-questions such as what staff training for museum employees/curators looks like, and what mandates there are for this type of museum accessibility. I am also wondering whether or not to incorporate intersections of other disabilities (for instance, a child with Autism and a physical disability). I want to keep the scope of this research realistic and manageable, while at the same time keeping an open mind to all possibilities. Finally, I will write a short research paper analyzing the results of my approach, and theorizing the future of Autistic-accessible galleries.