ACCESSIBILITY AND SCIENCE MUSEUMS: YOUNG DEAF PEOPLE VISITING THREE MUSEUMS IN RIO DE JANEIRO

ABSTRACT:

Deaf sign language users experience several challenges when visiting science museums, which affects their experience. In this study, we invited nine young deaf people who were users of sign language and were familiar with the accessibility theme to visit three science spaces in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We aimed to identify the participants’ opinions and visitation experiences with a particular interest in their perceptions about the accessibility of the places. The visits were recorded on video with a subjective camera and analyzed with respect to Indicators of Accessibility. Furthermore, we conducted semi-structured interviews to check participants’ opinions about accessibility. We observed that participants had a critical view of the accessibility issues, especially the communicational and attitudinal dimensions. The study shows the need to include deaf people as visitors and as active participants in the museum design process, aiming to make science museums more inclusive to diverse audiences.

Keywords:
Deaf education; Museum; Science communication