Towards an Inclusive Museum Management Strategy. An Exploratory Study of Consumption Experience in Visitors with Disabilities. The Case of the CosmoCaixa Science Museum

Abstract

In the field of cultural tourism, museums have been pioneers in focusing on visitors with disabilities. They have used inclusive orientation to offer the kind of memorable and satisfying experiences that are so beneficial to a group at constant risk of social exclusion. Their task is made more difficult, however, by visitors’ perception of barriers to inclusion, and identification therefore becomes a priority at the strategic level. Based on this idea, the present study analyzes experiences from two tours of the CosmoCaixa Barcelona museum by 32 people with disabilities (PwD). The use of ethnographic techniques and post-experience interviews shows how, despite the legal framework in relation to people with disabilities, hospitality managers find it difficult to put this framework into practice and cater to the needs of this segment of the population. Two factors become particularly clear: the difficulties experienced by museum staff in identifying people with disability, and museum managers’ lack of training and knowledge of the wants and needs of people with disabilities. Academic and strategic recommendations for museum managers are provided at the end of the article.

Towards Inclusivity: Enhancing Access to Oman's Private Heritage House Museums for Individuals with Mobility Impairments

“…Moreover, enhancing museum accessibility fosters inclusivity and social cohesion within societies (Bada, 2022;Chiscano & Jiménez-Zarco, 2021) while upholding the principle that cultural heritage belongs to all. It transforms museums into spaces that nurture a sense of belonging and unity for individuals with disabilities within their communities.…”

“…Heritage house museums often lack the necessary financial means to undertake costly structural changes. Nevertheless, museums now recognize the importance of proactively addressing accessibility concerns to uphold principles of equality and inclusiveness (Chiscano & Jiménez-Zarco, 2021). Many heritage house museums have sought various forms of support to implement accessibility projects.…”

“…Several studies have addressed the issue of accessibility for people with disability in museums in general (e.g. Chiscano & Jiménez-Zarco, 2021;Weisen, 2008;McMillen, 2012;Pezzo, 2010;Allday;Walters, 2009;Buckley, 1992).…”

“…However, some examples demonstrated that with organizational commitment and facilitative approaches, museums can present the history of learning disability in thought-provoking ways that challenge preconceptions. Given their responsibilities under the Disability Discrimination Act and the importance of social inclusion, this study emphasized the need for museums to reevaluate their approaches to learning impairment.Additional research explored the hurdles museums encounter in catering to the needs of individuals with disabilities, highlighting issues such as museum managers' limited awareness of these requirements and the insufficient expertise among museum staff in addressing them Chiscano and Jiménez-Zarco (2021). conducted an exploratory study at the CosmoCaixa science museum in Barcelona to investigate the consumption experiences of visitors with disabilities.…”

Monitoring disability inclusion: Setting a baseline for South Africa

“…Alathur, Kottakkunnummal & Chetty 2021 ) and in community and physical spaces (e.g. Carnemolla, Robinson & Lay 2021 ; Cerdan Chiscano & Jiménez-Zarco 2021 ). This highlights the push at the global level for inclusive education for children with disabilities, and much less attention is given to other areas of inclusion.…”