Creating Inclusive Object Narratives for Accessible Museum Exhibitions

Abstract

This study explores how to improve access to museum exhibits through inclusive narratives for visitors with vision loss and offers a step forward for museums concerned with inclusive research and accessible exhibition practice. The work involved exploring how non-ocularcentric object narratives can be collected and created using an object examination exercise. The exercise draws on interdisciplinary research practices from material culture studies and participatory design, while acknowledging the distinct sensory abilities and insights of individuals with congenital and early-onset blindness. A thematic analysis was developed to inform inclusive exhibit narratives and an integrated accessible exhibition design module that was compared with an existing ocularcentric exhibit. The broader results from the study provide insights to support multisensory and socially inclusive research in material culture studies and non-ocularcentric research practice. This experimentation with research methods supports the participation of people with non-visual mental models in curatorial research and museum exhibition development.