Letting Art Bloom for All

How can someone who is blind enjoy an art museum?  How can we make our tours more hospitable to those who have hearing deficiencies?  What makes a tour more universally attractive?  We spent much of our class on April 10 discussing those questions and others as we discussed programming and touring for special needs populations.

We saw a movie prepared by the Smithsonian - dated clothes and hairstyles, good information.  Honestly, most of the information and tips were common sense, IF one stopped to think about it from another perspective.  It helped to have things summarized in one place.   And most importantly, I think, most of these comments would make the tour experience better for everyone, not just the "differently abled."  For example, these guidelines would help in touring for those with hearing deficiencies, but would be equally appropriate for most tours:

1. Position yourself in front of the person(s) who might need to look at your lips to decipher your words; 
2. Speak more clearly, not more loudly; 
3. In moving from piece to piece, wait for the entire group to reassemble before speaking;
4. Suggest reading signs and placards for unfamiliar or foreign words or spellings;
5. Repeat questions before answering them.

For those with visual impairments: 

1. give detailed descriptions, including colors;
2. offer large high-contrast photographs or touchable materials if available;
3. offer transition directions; 
4. offer an arm but do not touch a person without asking first; 
5. consider using music or other audio (iPads have content).  

For those with physical disabilities:

1. talk and plan in advance to determine what activities are appropriate
2. offer alternatives (i.e., if you'd like to skip this and meet us, look at photos)
3. talk in advance about leaving early

And for those with learning issues or a developmental delay: 

1. Clear precise language and concise sentences; 
2. involve listeners by asking questions and waiting appropriately for answers; 
3. give concrete examples;
4. repeat to reinforce.  

It's really hard to argue with any of these guidelines for any tours.   This was the first time I heard about the concept of "universal design" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_design), the idea that design accommodations for one segment of the population are usable to the greatest extent possible by everyone.  

For "disability etiquette" see http://www.ucp.org/resources/disability-etiquette; for a great example of what another institution is doing, see http://www.moma.org/learn/programs/access; for general information about inclusion, see http://www.inclusionproject.org;  For "people first" language, see http://www.inclusionproject.org/nip_userfiles/file/People%20First%20Chart.pdf.  

We had a great presentation from the young woman in charge of preschool and family programming, with a slide show about the Sensory Mornings held at the Walters a couple of times a year.  These programs are for the whole family, but are designed to be especially inclusive for those with sensory processing disorders of various types.  Once again, I am so impressed.  

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We had a chance today today to discuss what we've learned so far, what we got out of our experience with "Art Blooms," and what we still need to focus on.  We all agreed that we feel so much more comfortable now with the "ask don't tell" types of presentations, and much more confident in front of the group.  There were many individual comments, and a lot of "readiness" to move on to the art history part of our training.  We just want to learn more.