Learning package about accessible exhibitions provided by the Aalto University ARTS Faculty of Art and Design.

1. Accessible Exhibitions
What is Accessibility?
Inclusive Design
Physical Accessibility
Measures
Planning Tools
Intellectual Accessibility
Sensory Accessibility
Accessible Communication
Social and Cultural Accessibility
Accessibility in the TANGO Exhibition? References and Further Reading

2. Accessible Exhibitions This information package gives insight into how to plan and
organize an accessible exhibition – that is, both physically and
intellectually available to diverse audiences. In accessible
exhibitions moving round, seeing, hearing and understanding
have been made as easy as possible. There are many useful tools
that help in checking for whom the exhibition and its contents is
actually available, and who might be excluded.
In this section you will find information and links that encourage
looking at accessibility from many different points of view
and developing more inclusive exhibition design.
Reading tip: The starred links throughout this document take you
directly to the Culture for All service’s website, which has useful
information on various accessibility-related topics.
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3. The main entrance hall at the Design Museum,
Helsinki. Image Courtesy of the Design Museum.
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4. Accessible Exhibitions
What is Accessibility? Quick Read: Here is an excellent yet compact information
package on accessibility, provided by the Finnish Culture for All
service.
www.kulttuuriakaikille.info/accessibility_what_is_accessibility
See also: Salovaara, S. (2006). Welcome to the Museum? , p. 2.
Link:
The extensive accessibility plan of the Smithsonian Museum,
Washington D.C., contains plenty of practical advice and
concrete measures on how to ensure exhibition accessibility:
Smithsonian Guidelines for Accessible Design.
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5. AH-Design Workshop at Kanneltalo, February 2012.
Image Courtesy of Malin Bäckman.
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6. Accessible Exhibitions
What is Accessibility?
Inclusive Design The way places are designed affects people’s ability to move round,
see, hear and communicate.
Inclusive Exhibition Design
Inclusive design is about making places that everyone can use. It aims
to enable everyone to participate equally and
Aspects of Accessibility independently in everyday activities. An inclusive approach to design
offers new insights into the way people interact with the built environ-
ment.
According to: Centre for Accessible Environments, CAE
Inclusive design as defined by the CAE:
– places people at the heart of the design process;
– responds to human diversity and difference;
– offers dignity, autonomy and choice;
– provides for flexibility in use.
An online film about Inclusive Design by the Royal Institute of
British Architects:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTRq1oIlT0Y&lr=1
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7. Accessible Exhibitions
Inclusive Design The idea of cultural equality is the most important starting
points when striving for inclusive design. International
guidelines and national legislation aim at equal opportunities
Inclusive Exhibition Design for diverse groups of citizens; thus everyone should be given
the opportunity to enjoy exhibitions, regardless of their physical
or intellectual capacities.
Aspects of Accessibility
Central issues that should be considered in accessibility
planning include minority rights, multiculturality and
internationality, age and different life phases.
Inclusion of diverse audiences demands that exhibitions cannot
be planned with a standard visitor in mind. Accessibility requires
acknowledging and appreciating differences
– whether in age, cultural background, gender orientation, or
intellectual or physical capacities. Variety instead of uniformity is
a recommendable point of departure.
According to: Salovaara, S (2006). Welcome to the Museum? p. 3.
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8. Accessible Exhibitions
Inclusive Design
The accessibility assessment of an exhibition can include:
Inclusive Exhibition Design – the physical environment;
– accessibility of contents through different senses;
– access to information and practical details;
Aspects of Accessibility – financial, social and cultural accessibility.
And: the audience’s ability to influence all these issues.
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9. AH-Design Workshop at Kanneltalo, February
2012 . Image courtesy of Malin Bäckman.
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10. Access and getting around can be a challenge especially in older buildings.
Visitors with limited mobility or visual impairment should be taken into ac-
Accessible Exhibitions count by certain procedures.
When planning exhibition architecture, it should
Physical Accessibility be ensured that the exhibition space is accessible with e.g. a wheelchair or an
assistance dog. It should be possible to access the exhibition space by elevator.
Measures If not, different fixed or moveable ramp systems can be used instead. Stairs and
steps should be clearly marked and handrails installed when possible.
Planning Tools The circulation routes through the exhibition space must be clearly defined,
well lit, and easy to follow. Complicated routes and dead-ends should be
eliminated. Doorways have to be cleared of obstacles, and text panels should
Accessibility in the TANGO Exhibition? not be placed in their immediate proximity. Unsteady standing signs; elements
made of seethrough materials; uneven surfaces; and carpets, stands and
objects that are the same colour as the walls should be avoided. It is also
important that the entrance to the exhibition is clearly defined by signs,
different colours and contrasts.
Larger renovations such as installing elevators are not always
possible, but even smaller reforms can make a big difference. To begin with,
handrails can be installed in staircases and seats can be placed for resting.
Clearly visible safety tape can be used to indicate stairs and steps,
non-functional signs can be redesigned, sound enforcing tele/induction loop
systems installed, and service counters lowered. Toilet facilities could be made
accessible by wheelchair. The most important thing is to provide visitors with
information on the accessibility of the exhibition in the brochures, website, and
in the exhibition space.
Case Example, Finnish Museums’ website offers a museum search by
accessibility criteria: www.museot.fi/searchmuseums/
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11. Image Courtesy of John P. http://one-
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mansblog.com/ Used under Creative
Commons License.

12. Accessible Exhibitions
Measures In this section you will find concrete measures for designing more
accessible exhibition spaces. For visual presentations, see the
accessibility plan of the Smithsonian Museum, Washington D.C.:
Doors and Doorways Smithsonian Guidelines for Accessible Design.
Measuring Accessibility:
Circulation Routes Professional access auditors or consultants measure accessibility by
using specially designed technical devices. Access auditing tools
can include for instance a digital gradient measure, a lux light
Seats meter, and a door pressure gauge.
Vitrines
Lighting
Wall Texts
Name Tags
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13. Accessible Exhibitions
Measures
Doorways into and inside the exhibition space should be at
least 85 cm, preferably 120 cm wide, and have enough free
Doors and Doorways space for turning in front of them.
It is necessary to remember that a wheelchair requires an
Circulation Routes
approximately 150 cm turning margin. Thresholds should be
removed or lowered, when possible.
Seats
Doors have to be easy to open, and possible push buttons for
automatic doors should be installed at an 85 to 100 cm height.
Vitrines Manual doors require clear directions (push/pull) and door
handles that are easy to grab. See-through glass doors should
have tape or other markings for better visibility at 90 to 150 cm
Lighting from the floor surface.
Wall Texts
Name Tags
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14. Accessible Exhibitions
Measures The recommended width of circulation routes is approximately
150 to 180 cm.
Doors and Doorways Beyond the main route a little less is acceptable, but the
minimum should be at least 100 cm. A standard wheelchair’s
turning margin is approximately 150 cm, and guide dogs and
Circulation Routes personal assistants also need extra space to move.
Seats All unnecessary obstacles, steps and thresholds should be
avoided in the circulation route.
Vitrines
Lighting
Wall Texts
Name Tags
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15. Accessible Exhibitions
Measures
Long walking distances require seating for resting. The
exhibition space should have seats at different heights. Most
Doors and Doorways commonly the sitting height is at 45 cm, but some of the seats
should be taller, at 50 to 55 cm. Ideally, some of the chairs
should provide support also for the back, arms, legs, and feet.
Circulation Routes
In larger institutions, there can also be wheelchairs and other
auxiliary equipment for the visitors to borrow.
Seats
Vitrines
Lighting
Wall Texts
Name Tags
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16. Accessible Exhibitions
Measures
The recommended height for display cases and vitrines is at 75
Doors and Doorways
to 200 cm from the floor surface. Small objects can be placed at
120 to 160 cm from floor level.
Circulation Routes
Display cases that have space underneath are highly
recommended, since visitors in wheelchairs can get closer to
Seats them.
Vitrines
Lighting
Wall Texts
Name Tags
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17. Accessible Exhibitions
Measures
Doors and Doorways Lighting on circulation routes, service points and near steps
and stairs should be at least 150 lux and evenly distributed. Very
strong contrasts, sudden shifts from light to dark, should be
Circulation Routes avoided.
Especially information tags and wall texts need to be well lit.
Seats Shadows, reflections and mixing of different light sources cause
difficulties to see. Natural light creates unwanted shadows that
can distract viewing. Non-reflective glass surfaces and matte
Vitrines text and other exhibition materials are highly recommended.
Lighting
Wall Texts
Name Tags
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18. Accessible Exhibitions Wall texts in the exhibition space should be large and clear enough, with good
contrast. The best visibility is usually attained by using dark text on a light
background. Matte surfaces eliminate unwanted reflections and are thus better
Measures than glossy ones.
Typography should be as clear as possible, without unnecessary use of italics and
Doors and Doorways boldings. The recommended font size is usually 18 to 36 points, whereas in bigger
text panels, with longer viewing distances, the recommended size is usually at
Circulation Routes least 48 points. The paragraph alignment of the text panels is usually on the left,
and sometimes vertical columns on the left side of the text areas are used to help
people with visual impairment to better locate them.
Seats
Texts in the exhibition space should also be placed so that they are easy to read
from different heights. However, they should not interfere with or draw too much
Vitrines attention from the exhibited material. The best height to place text areas in the
exhibition space is at approximately 90 to 150 cm from floor level. Larger text
panels can be placed at 75 to 200 cm from the floor. The optimum height for info
Lighting signs is at 140 to 160 cm from the floor surface.
If there is a lack of wall space, one option is to provide a printed handout of the
Wall Texts
exhibition texts with especially good contrast and readability for people who have
difficulties seeing. Preferably, the text materials should also be offered in Braille (a
Name Tags reading and writing method for people with visual impairment that is based on a
system of raised dots) and/or audio format.
More on Braille alphabets in Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braille
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19. Accessible Exhibitions
Measures
Doors and Doorways
It is best to place the name tags as close to the exhibited artefacts as possible,
Circulation Routes without them interfering too much with the exhibited content. They should also be
placed logically, always to the same side in relation to the artefacts. Tags should
be visually uniform, easy to see and well lit. Tilting them 45 degrees facilitates
Seats
reading. Colour contrasts or border markings also help to make them more
visible. If it is not possible to use name tags, a list or a map can be made that
Vitrines includes all the important information on the numbered artefacts and makes it
easy to connect the text with the correct object.
Lighting
Wall Texts
Name Tags
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20. Oddly placed wall texts at the Istanbul Biennale
2011. Image courtesy of Jenni Nurmenniemi.
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21. Accessible Exhibitions * Physical Accessibility
The above link takes you to the Culture for All website, where you will find
more practical information on the topic.
Planning Tools
In the report Smithsonian Guidelines for Accessible Design you will find
important measures and figures for accessibility planning.
There are also various checklists that you can use in accessibility planning.
Here you will find some hints on how to use them:
http://www.kulttuuriakaikille.info/accessibility_checklists
http://www.mla.gov.uk/what/raising_standards/improvement/~/media/
Files/pdf/2004/disability_checklist.ashx
Quick Checklist according to the Culture for All website:
– Does the exhibition welcome participation and take diverse audiences into
account?
– Is the exhibition site physically accessible for people with mobility or
functional concerns?
– Does the exhibition allow developing knowledge between different
cultures?
– How does the exhibition communicate to different audiences?
– Should the exhibition take some specific target groups into account, and
how?
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22. Image courtesy of kvanhorn: http://www.flickr.
com/photos/kvh/. Used under Creative Commons
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/.
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23. Accessible Exhibitions
Intellectual Accessibility Quick read: Intellectual accessibility means that the exhibition should
be equally accessible to people regardless of their previous knowledge
or education level. Offering well-designed information materials, using
printed brochures and websites that are easy to read and look at, and
providing audiovisual materials that facilitate understanding make the
exhibition available to a wider audience.
It is important to use clear and informative, preferably plain language in all
communications. Plain language is a form of language that is
understandable for all.
Guides who are able to take diverse audiences into account can contribute
greatly to the intellectual accessibility of the exhibition. In addition,
different audioguides can be tailored for visitors with specific needs.
Helpful assistants and other exhibition staff can also have a remarkable
positive impact on the overall exhibition experience.
More on plain language in Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plain_language
*Intellectual Accessibility
The above link takes you to the Culture for All website, where you will find
more practical information on the topic.
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24. Image courtesy of
http://blogs.sj-r.com/behindthecurtain/ -

25. Accessible Exhibitions
Sensory Accessibility Quick Read: Exhibitions should provide opportunities to use several senses.
Sensory accessibility refers to the visitors’ possibility to engage with the
exhibition by using different senses.
Sound Environment
Information can be both looked at and listened to, and sometimes it is possible
to explore museum objects by touch. Sign-language tours are tailored for people
with hearing impairments, whereas description tours bring the exhibition alive for
visitors who cannot use their eyesight. Audiovisual presentations with subtitles,
sign language and audio descriptions are helpful as well.
Clear signs and information texts written in large, easily readable fonts benefit
everyone. Technical devices, such as induction loops, and auxiliary aids, such
as magnifying glasses or flashlights, could be especially helpful for the elderly.
Some people are especially sensitive to different sensory stimuli, for instance,
light or sound. For them it could be good to provide e.g. earplugs if the exhibition
has a sound environment with loud noises or pay special attention to even
lighting.
* Sensory Access
The above link takes you to the Culture for All website, where you will find more
practical information on the topic.
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26. Accessible Exhibitions
Sensory Accessibility
One important aspect that should not be neglected in exhibition design is the
sound environment. Different sources of sound should be charted and placed
Sound Environment already when planning the exhibition, so that the sound environment does not
bother for instance people with visual impairments, who rely on their hearing to
navigate in the space, or visitors who are extra sensitive to sound. Different
sound sources should also be separated from each other as clearly as possible.
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27. Composer workshop of a Hugo Simberg exhibition. Image
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courtesy of Marjatta Levanto and Finnish National Gallery /
Central Art Archives.

28. Accessible Exhibitions
An accessible exhibition starts with good communication: potential visitors should
Accessible Communication be offered appropriate information already before they come to the exhibition.
Brochures and websites should provide basic information on accessibility: are the
facilities accessible for people with limited mobility or visual impairments? Are
assistive hearing devices and seeing aids provided? Information on each
exhibition and its background should be presented in an understandable form.
Information can be designed directly for specific target groups.
The staff can be trained in the use of plain language and graphic design for people
with visual impairments. Websites should operate also with aids for people with
visual impairments.
According to: Salovaara, S. (2006). Welcome to the Museum?, pp. 6–7.
Case Example: Browse Aloud – a computer program that reads aloud all website
content.
* Accessible Communication
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29. Image courtesy of: www.architecture.com/
FindOutAbout/InclusiveDesign/
InclusiveDesign.aspx
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30. Accessible Exhibitions
Social and Cultural Accessibility
Interpretive systems have varying cultural origins. Thus, social and cultural
accessibility requires sensitivity to a plurality of experiences, perceptions, and values.
It is important to evaluate if the contents and displays reflect the
interests and life experiences of different audiences.
If reaching out to specific visitor groups, it might be useful to:
Build contacts and set up advisory boards of representatives of the target
groups. Develop communication skills and offer language choices, if needed.
Work together with the target groups and run community projects to make sure
that their views and concerns are included in the exhibition.
Social accessibility can mean, for instance, accessible pricing, so that people can
afford to visit the exhibition, regardless of their socio-economic background.
When possible, the admission should be free of charge or at least tickets with
discounts should be offered for specific groups. One option is to offer free
entrance at certain times.
* More on Social and Cultural Access.
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31. Image courtesy of Ari Karttunen/ EMMA,
Espoo Museum of Modern Art. -

32. Accessible Exhibitions
Accessibility in the TANGO Exhibition?
How to take into account the special features of the exhibition locale
in:
Helsinki?
Milan?
Nantes?
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33. The exhibition space at the Design Museum,
Helsinki. Image courtesy of Jenni Nurmenniemi.
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34. References and
Further Reading Salovaara, S. (2006). Welcome to the Museum?
The Finnish National Gallery Promotes Cultural Equality in Finland.
In this short article, Sari Salovaara, a museum professional who specializes in
accessibility issues at the Finnish National Gallery, opens up accessibility from
both her own perspective as a person with visual impairment and via the Finnish
National Gallery’s actions towards more accessible and inclusive exhibitions.
http://www.cultureforall.info/doc/research_and_reports/welcome_to_the
_museum_article.doc
Access for All Toolkit
Checklists for assessing barriers to accessibility and ways to overcome them.
See especially pages 6 and 8 of the pdf document.
http://www.mla.gov.uk/what/raising_standards/improvement/~/media/Files/
pdf/2004/access_for_all_toolkit.ashx
Information Service on Accessibility by the Finnish Ministry of Education
and Culture: www.cultureforall.info.
See especially: What is Accessibility? A compact information package
on accessibility:
http://www.kulttuuriakaikille.info/accessibility_what_is_accessibility
Accessibility Vocabulary
Useful accessibility vocabulary in English, Finnish, and Swedish. The file is in Excel form.
http://www.cultureforall.info/doc/what_is_accessibility/acessibility_vocabularity
_finnish_swedish_english.xls
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35. References and
Further Reading Access by Design
A quarterly journal published by the Centre for Accessible Environments.
A sample issue readable with an e-book viewer:
http://issuu.com/accessbydesign/docs/access_by_design_autumn_2010_issue_124
Cultural Diversity Checklist
www.mla.gov.uk/what/raising_standards/improvement/~/media/Files/pdf/20
04/cultural_diversity_checklist.ashx
Making Cultural Heritage Truly Common
www.cultureforall.info/doc/research_and_reports/making_cultural_heritage_
truly_common_conference_publication.pdf
Kaitavuori, K., Mäyrä, F., Nummelin, E., Sandell, R., Walters, D. & Ågotnes, A.
(2008). Making Cultural Heritage Truly Common Conference Publication, 11-12
October 2007, Helsinki. Culture for All Service web publication 1:2008.
Community relations and development Kehys. Finnish National Gallery.
Disability Portfolio
Here you will find twelve guides on how to meet the needs of disabled people as
users and staff in museums, archives and libraries. It gives advice, information
and guidance to help overcome barriers and follow good practice.
www.mla.gov.uk/what/raising_standards/improvement/~/media/Files/pdf/20
04/disability_portfolio.ashx
Articles On Intercultural Dialogue and Multiculturalism (Partly in English)
www.cultureforall.info/doc/monikulttuurisuus_kansio/perspectives_on_interc
ultural_dialogue.pdf
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36. The workshop space at the Design Museum,
Helsinki. Image Courtesy of Jenni Nurmenniemi.
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