Access to cultural heritage for people with special needs – the Polish case Adj. Prof. Malgorzata Fedorowicz-Kruszewska Institute of Information Science and Book Studies Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Poland The International Congress on Management of Cultural Heritage and Cultural Memory Institutions (URLA 2014), September 17-20, 2014, Istanbul

Overwiev Introduction Elements of accessible cultural institution: proper architetural access and interior design accessible formats Assistive Technology (AT) devices skills of employees available services available Internet service the Polish case Conclusions The International Congress on Management of Cultural Heritage and Cultural Memory Institutions (URLA 2014), September 17-20, 2014, Istanbul

Why is it important? there are more than one billion people with disabilities in the world = 15% of the population of the world the right of people with disabilities to participate in cultural life on an equal basis with others (the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities adopted by the United Nations General Assembly December 13, 2006) The International Congress on Management of Cultural Heritage and Cultural Memory Institutions (URLA 2014), September 17-20, 2014, Istanbul

Why is it important? The Convention obliges States Parties to take appropriate measures o to ensure access to cultural material, to television programmes, films, theatre and other cultural activities in accessible formats o to provide access to places of cultural activities, such as theatres, museums, cinemas, libraries and tourism services, and, where possible, access to monuments and sites of importance to the national culture for persons with disabilities The International Congress on Management of Cultural Heritage and Cultural Memory Institutions (URLA 2014), September 17-20, 2014, Istanbul

Why is it important? The Marrakesh Treaty Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled (adopted by WIPO in June 2013) o improve international availability of accessible formats for print disabled o permit exchange of these formats across borders by organisations that serve them. The International Congress on Management of Cultural Heritage and Cultural Memory Institutions (URLA 2014), September 17-20, 2014, Istanbul

What is an accessible cultural institution? The International Congress on Management of Cultural Heritage and Cultural Memory Institutions (URLA 2014), September 17-20, 2014, Istanbul

What is an accessible cultural institution? Proper architectural access and interior design Accessible formats Assistive Technology (AT) devices Skills of employees Available services Available Internet service The International Congress on Management of Cultural Heritage and Cultural Memory Institutions (URLA 2014), September 17-20, 2014, Istanbul

Proper architectural access and interior design ……… the colour of the background the contrast between the exhibit and the background lighting alternative presentation of the object, etc. The International Congress on Management of Cultural Heritage and Cultural Memory Institutions (URLA 2014), September 17-20, 2014, Istanbul

Accessible formats The International Congress on Management of Cultural Heritage and Cultural Memory Institutions (URLA 2014), September 17-20, 2014, Istanbul

Accessible formats Tactile graphics Braille formats Large print Audio formats Audio description (AD) Subtitles Tactile mockups of buildings The International Congress on Management of Cultural Heritage and Cultural Memory Institutions (URLA 2014), September 17-20, 2014, Istanbul

Assistive Technology (AT) devices are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike 3.0 License. Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike 3.0 License

Assistive Technology (AT) devices speech synthesisers text-to-speech software screen reading software screen magnification software Braille translation software alternative keyboards keyguards alternative mouse mouth/ tongue pointing devices Braille output devices Braille embosser electronic magnifier digital talking book player induction loop, etc. The International Congress on Management of Cultural Heritage and Cultural Memory Institutions (URLA 2014), September 17-20, 2014, Istanbul

Skills of employees People do not want to behave in a way that could be perceived as wrong. Training: o on the key aspects of the individual disability o in communicating. The International Congress on Management of Cultural Heritage and Cultural Memory Institutions (URLA 2014), September 17-20, 2014, Istanbul

Available services translation into sign language guide using sign language for the deaf assistant for the blind or for persons with reduced mobility meetings with the use of speech recognition software museum classes, workshops and events which take into account the specific needs of people with disabilities The International Congress on Management of Cultural Heritage and Cultural Memory Institutions (URLA 2014), September 17-20, 2014, Istanbul

An available Internet service allows people with disabilities o to plan a visit o to use the digitised collections and multimedia o to get information about accessibility The International Congress on Management of Cultural Heritage and Cultural Memory Institutions (URLA 2014), September 17-20, 2014, Istanbul

Jil Wrights_flickr_CC BY 2.0

An available Internet service How to do it?... The International Congress on Management of Cultural Heritage and Cultural Memory Institutions (URLA 2014), September 17-20, 2014, Istanbul the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG)

The International Congress on Management of Cultural Heritage and Cultural Memory Institutions (URLA 2014), September 17-20, 2014, Istanbul Cultural institutions in Poland organised by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage Analysed institutions -cultural centres -concert halls -theatres -museums -contemporary art centres -architectural monuments -libraries -galleries -opera houses -an audiovisual insitute -orchestras -music centres 5343

The International Congress on Management of Cultural Heritage and Cultural Memory Institutions (URLA 2014), September 17-20, 2014, Istanbul

Conclusions 43 Polish cultural institutions surveyed: o those which pay attention to the needs of people with disabilities o those which have just begun being active in this matter o those that are totally passive the knowledge and awareness of the management determines the fact that the institution provides services for people with disabilities or not lack of consistency lack of national strategy lack of knowledge about the nature of disability and its effects The International Congress on Management of Cultural Heritage and Cultural Memory Institutions (URLA 2014), September 17-20, 2014, Istanbul

”Disability is not otherness, it is a possibility” Monika Kuszyńska The International Congress on Management of Cultural Heritage and Cultural Memory Institutions (URLA 2014), September 17-20, 2014, Istanbul

Thank you for your attention ! Dinlediğiniz için teşekkürler! Dziękuję za uwagę! The International Congress on Management of Cultural Heritage and Cultural Memory Institutions (URLA 2014), September 17-20, 2014, Istanbul