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Heritage access for people with motor disabilities

Heritage mediation, access and welcome for people with motor disabilities

Published on 29 November 2012 - Updated 07 December 2012
Cet article date d'il y a plus de 11 ans

As part of the accessibility and mediation objective of the Great Loire Valley Sites excellence initiative, the Mission Val de Loire, with the help of the association Interface Handicap and in partnership with the Domaine National de Chambord, organised a study and training day on this theme on Tuesday 20th November 2012.

This event was attended by 15 participants representing the Great Loire Valley Sites and the Regional Directorates for Companies, Competition, Consumers, Labour and Employment (DIRECCTE) of the Centre and Pays de la Loire Regions, as well as eight facilitators (Mission Val de Loire, Interface Handicap, the Loir-et-Cher County Directorate of the Association des Paralysés de France (APF), Cogito Ergo Sum company and Domaine National de Chambord).

The APF gave a definition of a motor disability and the needs and expectations of people suffering from this disability – particularly as regards accessibility to cultural and heritage sites.

Discussions touched on the way in which cultural sites could set up information tools (distance or on-site), welcome and safety facilities for these types of visitor (tailored reception, easier/wider access areas and signs/information panels as well as the possibility of accessing services and content), all the while keeping protection of the buildings in mind.

The participants were particularly able to appreciate the way in which the Domaine National de Chambord has made its site more accessible during a trip there, as well as the reception facilities for people with motor disabilities.

A few examples of heritage mediation actions for visitors with motor disabilities in some cultural institutions (musée du Quai Branly, the Louvre, etc.) highlighted the questions of ergonomics, comfort and guidance.

These presentations sparked a great deal of discussion among the participants.

Each of them received a contact base specialising in heritage mediation for people with motor disabilities, put together especially for this event so as to foster the development of proposals and services that meet the needs of such visitors.

This session was part of a cycle of study and training days organised in previous years in Angers, Blois and Amboise. This is set to continue in December with a training day on the mediation of the Loire Valley World Heritage, organised by the Mission Val de Loire.