MUMMI

| Design for All Info DfA Workshop and Study Projects DfA Literature links from Antti UIAH/MediaLab

mummi-logo

MUMMI - Workshop for Museums and Design-for-All 2004

Report of the Survey in Theatre Museum

Course objectives: To understand the processes for designing for large audience, the user centred design principles and importance of usability when designing technology for museums.

The task described in this document:

To visit one museum with the test person.
To find what kind of problems the test person will meet in her or his visit and to make an accessibility survey of the museum.
To make a short video of the visit.

We chose to concentrate on the physical accessibility and accessible communication museum (we concentrated on the museum space and not websites or other material or information outside the museum). Our test person was a blind a girl and that is why we decided to focus on the problems visually impaired people might meet. The museum we decided to visit was a theatre museum.

Theatre Museum

Museum's website: http://www.teatterimuseo.fi

The Theatre Museum is a cross between an activity centre and an information centre focusing on vitality, function and ease of obtaining information. At the Theatre Museum the visitor is a maker and shaker, who can try things out, play things out and be a seeker after knowledge. The Museum was awarded the Silmänkääntäjä Prize for 2000 by the Finnish Theatre Information Centre and the 2001 Museum Prize by the Council of Europe in recognition of its innovative concept, based on action and interaction and its cherishing of the European theatre tradition.

The collections -- eclecticism and quality

As a specialist national museum, the Theatre Museum ensures that information on the Finnish theatrical tradition, comprising archives and collections of objects is preserved for coming generations, particularly for the purposes of research. The way these collections are saved is also guided by theatre education and the popularization of information.

http://www.teatterimuseo.fi/english/

Our test group's visit to the museum

The overall impression of the museum and its exhibitions was that everything was very colorful, noisy, illogical - there were surprising elements and spaces. The lightning was used to create an atmosphere. The museum had used its space very effectively and creatively - there were items everywhere from the floor to the ceiling. The museum and its exhibitions seemed to be suitable especially for children.

Physical accessibility:

There was one parkinslot for disabled people quite near to the entrance to the museum. There was a ramp leading to the main entrance. Unfortunately, the see-through doors were very heavy and difficult to open for one person. A person using a wheelchair will have problems when trying to open the doors by him or herself.

The entrance hall was a vast space, and there was very easy to move around, but there were no special services for disabled people (Except for a toilet for disabled people). The museum itself was only accessible by a roomy lift. The lift had Braille on the buttons. However, the museum and its exhibitions were not designed for people in wheelchairs as the exhibitions were on different levels, there were stairs, narrow passages, obstacles on the floor and so on.

Riikka's visit to the Theatre museum

Riikka Hänninen, our 24-year old "guinea pig" was born blind. She was visiting the Theatre museum with her temporary assistent Marjo Mäenpää. We interviewed her before and after the visit and shooted the interviews as well as her visit on video.

Riikka bought her ticket alone and was given no special attention from the girl behind the desk. "The exhibition is on the next floor" was all she got. Luckily, Riikka was taken to the right direction by our teacher, Marjo.

Whoever came out from the lift, was given a verbal instruction by one staff member. She showed a map of the museum and told the visitors the most logical route through the exhibitions. However, she was not a guide (there were no guided tours for average visitors in this museum. Only some theme tours for children or other groups.) There were no texts or leaflets written in Braille. Hence Riikka was very much depended on the help of her assistant.

Riikka was not bothered by the mixed used of different voices or sounds - one voice was telling historical facts, TV sets showed clips from old plays and played music and so on. Those voices seemed to bother more us, the observing group.

After the visit Riikka said that she was positively surprised - there were many possibilities to touch different kinds of things: old theatre costumes, various items used in theatre plays etc. She mentioned that she would recommend the museum to her friends as well.

Recommendations:

Easier accessibility for people in wheelchairs (or other groups of disabled people e.g. visually impaired) > no different levels, steps or stairs, wider passageways, no obstacles on the floor etc. Services, information and labels on the walls should be accessible from the wheelchairs (or the same information could be in a handout or leaflet)

Information, handouts:

To be aware that different groups of people have special needs. > schematic maps/ guides or other relevant information for visually impaired. Information in Braille, tactile texts, audio guides, clear and understable signs or symbols etc. Models, textiles/other textures or other items that can be easily touched.

Sounds:

To pay attentions to sound spaces > are the sounds clear, is the volume level right (or is it adjustable) are the sound spaces separated from each other. Audio information should be available for people with visually impairments as not everybody can read Braille.

The use of new technology:

Multimedia, touch screens etc. The technology used in the museum was not designed so that a blind person could use it alone without problems.

Other:

The museums could use for example markings on the floors so that blind people can feel it with their white stick. The cost of this cannot be very high.

Riikka Hänninen's interview before the visit to the Theatre museum.

Q. Tell me about yourself - what is your name, age, profession, interests and so on...

How often do you usually go to museums?

What kind of museums - art museums?

Do you go alone or with a friend?

How do you prepare your visit?

Do you use guides?

Do you ask help from the staff members?

What were your expectations before this visit?

How did you prepare this visit beforehand?

Have you got any special interest in this museum?

How long have you been blind?/ Have you always been blind?