Date Presented 03/22/24
Disability awareness training is an important component of accessibility practices in museum settings. This study summarizes research on staff training and gaps in the literature. OTs are underutilized resources for staff training.
Primary Author and Speaker: Jennifer Fortuna
Additional Authors and Speakers: Jonathan Dean, Holly Fry, Samantha Ross
Contributing Authors: Laureen Cantwell-Jurkovic
PURPOSE: Collaborative partnerships between occupational therapists and community organizations such as museums are an emerging area of practice. Disability awareness training is an important, yet often-overlooked, component of accessibility practices in museum settings. Problems occur when frontline staff do not know what to do or say. All staff who interact with the public should be trained to meet the needs of museum visitors with disabilities (MVWD). This study summarizes existing research on disability awareness training and identifies gaps in the literature.
METHOD: A scoping review framework (Arksey and O’Malley, 2005; Levac et al., 2010) was used to search four databases. Descriptive statistics and qualitative analysis were used to summarize the literature and report common themes.
RESULTS: Nine articles met the inclusion criteria. Quantitative results identified general differences between study characteristics. Qualitative themes included the benefits of staff training, and the unique perspectives of MVWD and museum staff. Gaps in the literature and suggestions for improving the museum experience for MVWD are summarized.
CONCLUSION: All frontline museum staff should receive disability awareness training. It is important to consider the perspectives of MVWD. Occupational therapists, people with disabilities, and community organizations who serve people with disabilities are underutilized resources for this type of training. Guidelines for best practice are needed. Future research should utilize a participatory action research approach to ensure all stakeholders are included in the decision-making process.
References
Levac, D., Colquhoun, H., & O’Brien, K. K. (2010). Scoping studies: Advancing the methodology. Implementation Science, 5(1), 69. https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-5-69
Henrich, G., Cleveland, F. Q., & Wolverton, E. (2014). Case studies from three museums in art beyond sight’s multi-site museum accessibility study. Museums & Social Issues, 9(2), 124–143. https://doi.org/10.1179/1559689314Z.00000000023
Silverman, F., & Bartley, B. (2013). Who is educating whom? Two-way learning in Museum/University partnerships. Journal of Museum Education, 38(2), 154–163. https://doi.org/10.1080/10598650.2013.11510766
Silverman, F., Bartley, B., Cohn, E., Kanics, I. M., & Walsh, L. (2012). Occupational therapy partnerships with museums: Creating inclusive environments that promote participation and belonging. The International Journal of the Inclusive Museum, 4(4), 15–30. https://doi.org/10.18848/1835-2014/CGP/v04i04/44384
