The Convention on the rights of people with disabilities (UN, 2006) stated that participation in social life is a fundamental human right emphasizing the importance to rethink the concept of accessibility in cultural spaces. Cultural heritage sites, as well as museums and galleries, express an increasing interest in adopting strategies to improve accessibility and participation for all. We used an Inclusive Research paradigm, actively involving a group of individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) with the goal to investigate participants’ perceptions and ideas of obstacles/facilitators to knowledge accessibility. A particular focus has been given to readability and comprehensibility of the existing textual resources in a cultural heritage site. The inclusion of people with ID as informants during the entire research process allowed not only to assess their point of view, but also to realize a questionnaire using the easy-to-read criteria. The main variables assessed through the questionnaire are: (a) Perception and Physical Interaction with content resources, (b) Language and symbols, (c) Content comprehension, (d) Engagement with knowledge. We argue that the proposed questionnaire may be useful to inform the process of creating and transforming learning environments adopting an audience-centered dialogue. Enhancing the contribution of special pedagogy in this innovative research field means improving our understanding of people’s needs and the complexity of potential outcomes, from an inclusive perspective.

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This paper describes the process of co-design of technological products to increase museum accessibility and engagement in visitors with mild or moderate intellectual disabilities (IDs). By using an Inclusive Research approach, a multidisciplinary team of experts, including researchers in Users Experience (UX), psychology, and education, museum curators and a group of participants with IDs (n=9) have participated as the research team. Participants with IDs were involved in two rounds of interviews. The first-round interview aimed to explore participants’ use and familiarity with technologies and to understand their interest in using technological tools in different contexts. The second-round interview aimed at exploring participants’ spontaneous choice between different tools classified as low (easy-to-read vs Augmentative and Alternative Communication) or high-tech (Augmented Reality) aids for acquiring new knowledge within a museum space. The analysis of the interviews revealed that there was a general consistency between previous technology use/experience/interest and the choice of ICT-based products by participants with IDs. These results highlight the importance of emphasizing a multidisciplinary dialogue and the active participation of IDs users to outline methodologies, programs, procedures, and international standards to foster inclusive access to cultural heritage.

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This paper addresses the issue of accessibility to written information in cultural spaces for people with intellectual disabilities (ID). The main goal is to present a process aimed at creating Easy-to-Read (EtR) texts. Two groups of participants with different levels of ID – moderate (N=7) and severe (N=7) – have been actively involved in the process of simplification of written resources within the Natural Science Museum, site in Trieste. We analyze the process that serve to create EtR textual resources functional for people with ID showing different levels of reading and comprehension abilities. By using an Inclusive Research approach, the contribution underlines the importance to include the voice of people with disabilities in the process of transformation of social and cultural spaces.   Accessibilità alle risorse testuali per le persone con Disabilità Intellettiva all’interno degli spazi culturali Questo articolo affronta la questione dell’accessibilità alle informazioni negli spazi pubblici per le persone con disabilità intellettive. L’obiettivo principale è quello di presentare un processo volto a proporre comunicazioni comprensibili e informative supportate da testi semplificati. Due gruppi di partecipanti con diversi livelli di disabilità intellettiva – moderata (N=7) e grave (N=7) – sono stati attivamente coinvolti nel processo di semplificazione delle risorse scritte all’interno del Museo di Scienze Naturali, sito a Trieste. Il disegno di ricerca è un metodo misto che comprende la raccolta di dati sia quantitativi che qualitativi volti ad esplorare criteri di leggibilità e comprensibilità delle risorse testuali considerando diversi livelli di semplificazione. Il contributo sottolinea l’importanza di includere la voce delle persone con disabilità nel processo di trasformazione degli spazi sociali e culturali.