Improving Intellectual Access for Sight Loss Exhibition Visitors
- Submitting institution
-
University of Lincoln
- Unit of assessment
- 32 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
- Output identifier
- 44036
- Type
- T - Other
- DOI
-
-
- Location
- -
- Brief description of type
- Curation, publication
- Open access status
- Out of scope for open access requirements
- Month
- December
- Year
- 2020
- URL
-
-
- Supplementary information
-
-
- Request cross-referral to
- -
- Output has been delayed by COVID-19
- No
- COVID-19 affected output statement
- -
- Forensic science
- No
- Criminology
- No
- Interdisciplinary
- No
- Number of additional authors
-
0
- Research group(s)
-
-
- Proposed double-weighted
- Yes
- Double-weighted statement
- This project comprised preparatory interviews, participatory exhibition design, co-creation sessions, ‘Living Lab’ exhibition assessment, visitor observations and extensive feedback procedures. Preparatory interviews involved 5 museum professionals and 5 sight loss interviewees. 3 co-creation sessions over 5 months involved 2 sight loss participants per session. ‘Living Lab’ research within the exhibition space involved 3 co-assessment sessions with 8 sight loss participants, visitor / participant observations and semi-structured interviews with 8 sight loss participants and 2 partially sighted participants. Visitor questionnaires were conducted with 54 sight loss and 1452 further participants. Data from these sources was triangulated and analysed in considerable detail.
- Reserve for an output with double weighting
- No
- Additional information
- Context and Rationale
This project comprised preparatory interviews, participatory exhibition design, co-creation sessions, ‘Living Lab’ exhibition assessment, visitor observations and extensive feedback procedures. This research goes beyond focusing on accessibility exhibition elements for sight-loss visitors (e.g. audio guides).
Research Process, Roles & Contribution
Below is each research element of this Participatory Action Research process:
Pre-co-creation semi-structured interviews:
3 gallery assistants / 2 curators / British Museum designer [existing exhibition practices].
5 sight loss participants and 3 RNIB representatives [visiting exhibitions experiences].
Above interviewees [Chick’s inclusive exhibition guidelines reviewed].
Participatory design of inclusive exhibition.
3 co-creation sessions over 5-months (2 sight loss participants each session).
‘Living Lab’ research: Within exhibition space (28/1/2017 to 23/4/2017):
Central question: Does the exhibition aid an understanding of subject matter and exhibits for sight loss visitors?
3 co-assessment sessions (8 sight loss participants).
Visitor/participant observations.
Semi-structured interviews: Same cohort plus 2 new partially sighted visitors.
Visitors test different label designs.
Assistants conduct visitor questionnaire (verbal/written):
- 54 sight loss and 1452 other visitor responses.
Data triangulation analysis.
Insights
Co-creation methods are generally rooted in visual communications, so novel approaches for sight loss participants were developed: -
- Design concepts projected large and verbalised to audio text recognition software
- Small-scale models of exhibition layout and elements.
Novel exhibition solutions were cultivated, e.g. Object labels on display plinths had a fixed duplicate. Visitors could pick up the top label for close-up reading.
Multisensory exhibition element benefited all visitors.
Sharing
2 peer-reviewed journal articles.
15,043 visitors experienced inclusive exhibition with 14 touching replica tables, 7 audio descriptions, and floor way-finder.
Participants and stakeholders’ involvement.
5 peer-reviewed conference papers.
http://www.inclusive-exhibitions.org.uk/
- Author contribution statement
- -
- Non-English
- No
- English abstract
- -