Accessibility Should Be at the Center of Museum Education

"Education departments in museums have always been a north star for accessibility in the arts. Decades-old programs at major institutions in New York, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), offer robust opportunities for individuals with visual and auditory impairments, children and adults with developmental disabilities, and the families who provide care, to name a few, that foster life-changing moments through art."

"Although not universally known among museum-goers, these programs are deeply embedded in the fabric of New York City's institutions. Other departments in art museums are starting to catch up to the work that access teams have been doing for decades, and these programs deserve to be appreciated and centered as part of museum worker education. The educators and advocates who facilitate these experiences are underacknowledged heroes and community builders in art museums."

Education departments in museums have long driven accessibility initiatives, offering programs for people with visual and auditory impairments, developmental disabilities, and caregiving families. The Metropolitan Museum of Art established touch collections and early tours for Blind and partially sighted visitors; MoMA runs Disability Art Chats and online discussions. Such programs create life-changing moments through art and are deeply embedded in New York institutions. Other museum departments are beginning to adopt similar practices, but educators and advocates who facilitate these experiences remain underacknowledged. As disability gains recognition as an aspect of identity in exhibitions, museum educators must be centered in conversations to thoughtfully contextualize disability in art.

Read at Hyperallergic