Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service's Blog

Exhibitions and Accessibility: Part II

In our last segment, I chatted with Laurie Trippett, SITES' resident expert on government ADA guidelines. She has been working with accessibility issues for nearly 25 years and has a few tips for museums large and small.

1. Be sure to provide large-print versions of the object labels, available for patrons at the information desk.The large-print copy needs to be at least 16-point type or preferably bigger. The most important thing in this scenario is that people know that they can get the alternate version. Make it a point to include "Large-print exhibition text available" on all of your publicity materials and on your standard rack cards.

2. Make your general exhibition panels easy to read. Use legible typefaces. (Please, destroy the Blackadder and Curlz fonts!) And then think about contrast. Use a dark typeface on a light background and vice-versa. You wouldn't believe how many red letters on blue backgrounds I've seen out there. The general rule is to use a minimum of 24-point type on your main panels.

3. Now for the exhibition cases. Ideally, you'd want to have cases moved away from the walls to allow people to see objects on all sides. If this your goal, create enough room on the wall-side for a wheelchair to access the space (at least 30"). If you have wall-hung cases, they shouldn't extend more than 4" off the wall itself (Ever been clipped the corner of the plexiglass case? Ouch!)

4. And, yes, exhibitions filled with multi-media experiences ARE cool, but don't let the cacophony of exploding cannons in one room and shouting soldiers in another overwhelm your Civil War exhibit. Some people have a hard time processing sounds if they're coming from too many places. If you're using sound to add a sensory experience, try to contain it to one area, and PLEASE, turn it down! Laurie even suggests getting inexpensive headphones--the kind language labs use sell for about $20.00. And, she adds, they won't get stolen!

5. Be sure the people who actually build your exhibits have a working knowledge of accessibility guidelines. This will save you an infinite amount of time in the long run.

5. If all else fails, make your exhibition (in its complete form) available on the web and do outreach in your community.

FOR MORE, SEE http://www.si.edu/opa/accessibility/exdesign/start.him

Exhibitions and Accessibility

I was so excited to visit a mystery museum in Montreal a few months ago. I put it on the top of my list--the time period was fascinating, and the subject matter of great personal interest to me. Imagine my chagrin when, after all that anticipation (and travel), I walk into the gallery and have to purse my lips, squint my eyes, and otherwise distort my face just to read the labels. The exhibition was a laundry list of why accessibility matters. Visitors, without or without visible disabilities, are truly put off by the museum that doesn't at least try to make things accessible for every body.

I recently sat down with Laurie Trippett, SITES' assistant director of exhibitions and our resident accessibility advisor to find out where this mystery museum went wrong and why every library, historic house, art museum, and civic center should make accessibility a top priority.

"The interesting thing about this," Laurie muses, "is that it will--at some point--affect everybody in the population. Best to start planning now," she continues. What to do? So much work and so little time? In this two-part series, we will examine some simple and not-so-simple steps you can take to help your institution "do the right thing."

First and foremost, do a thorough walk-through to assess your site's accessibility weaknesses. This is a baseline from which to work. Laurie suggests asking folks with disabilities to help you gauge the reality of your space, creating a community advisory committee, or partnering with a local university or college to do an official study of the property. She warns, however, that if you go down this road, you need to be prepared to implement a good portion of the recommendations your committee hands down. Otherwise, your efforts will appear hollow.

From here, begin with the most obvious question: Can people get into the building? Are there ramps or handrails? If you're in a situation where building a ramp into the main building is impossible, how about constructing one at a secondary site or alternate building. The point being, as long as you can get visitors in your doors, you can educate and entertain them, and above all, give them an equal opportunity to experience the spectacular things your institution has to offer.

Now, once they're inside, let the learning begin. Even if nothing else in your entire museum is wheelchair accessible, for example, you can provide a video presentation, offer an enhanced podcast, or even a hands-on Q&A with a special docent. Laurie also notes that there are plenty of companies out there that will create interesting and engaging pre-recorded tours of your site. Best practice: Create at least one space in your museum that IS wheelchair, walker, or stroller navigable. (Minimum clearance for an average wheelchair is 30" x 48"). 

For general information on the Americans with Disabilities Act

Stayed tuned for part II of this series with detailed design instructions and more helpful websites . . .