Re-imagining the museum through “touch”

Abstract

The research aim of the present study was to investigate the experiences of individuals with visual disability regarding their visits to museums. To obtain relevant information, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 Greek individuals with visual disability aged between 19-59 years. The participants highlighted issues relevant to factors which facilitated or/and hindered their accessibility to Greek museums, such as escorts, museum tour guides, tactile access, prohibition signs “do not touch,” museum services and museum websites. Also, they referred to positive and negative emotions which were associated with their museum visits. Finally, they made suggestions aiming to improve the participation of people with visual disability to museums.