Abstract of N. Inbar lecture

COGNITIVE ACCESSIBILITY IN MUSEUMS AND IN LEISURE

SITES FOR VISITS OF INTELLECTUALLY DISABLED PERSONS

N. Inbar

Akim Israel

General. In recent years, efforts have been made, to make museums

and leisure sites accessible for disabled persons. However, this

accessibility process did not include intellectually disabled persons

whose difficulties are in understanding, due to their cognitive disability.

The absence from this innovative process, of the intellectually

disabled population, living within the community, (representing about

70% of the 34,000 persons with intellectual disability) becomes even

more obvious, as one notices the total absence of programs to make

this unique experience accessible for them. In the past decade, AKIM

ISRAEL has led projects of visits of groups of intellectually disabled

persons in museums. Last year, about 1,500 intellectually disabled

persons have visited 15 different museums. In view of the success of

these projects, AKIM ISRAEL is working on the development of a

national program for the accessibility of museums for intellectually

disabled person. Principles. Every person, including an intellectually

disabled person, is entitled to enjoy the cultural infrastructures.

Intellectually disabled persons are entitled to getting a support that will

enable them to enjoy such infrastructures. Rendering the museum

accessible will be done through the adaptation of the instruction basis

existing in the museum. The Program's Outline: creating an instruction

model for mediating the museum's experience for intellectually

disabled persons; help in producing instruction materials (simple

language, using symbols); producing earmarked audit systems (using

simple, yet adult, language, slow rhythm); building models or

reproductions; training the instruction staff in museums; and creating a

marketing system for attitudes' change among the general population.