Hello all! I've recently had the opportunity to partake in a course at Grinnell College that is looking at disabilities in society and across cultures with a focus on art, activism, and policy. Travel is an aspect of this class, with a trip to Washington D.C. over spring break already being concluded and an upcoming trek to Japan in May. With travel in mind, I am creating this first blog post to look at accessibility at a popular destination when traveling in a city: museums. Washington D.C. has a plethora of museums surrounding the National Mall, yet as I learned in a few short hours, signs of access, accommodations, and design vary significantly between the Smithsonian Museums, which were the primary focus of our class for one whole day in D.C. I specifically studied the accessibility of The National Museum of American History regarding accessibility for wheelchair users and others with reduced mobility, deaf, and blind individuals. In addition, I visited exhibits that contained relevant information and artifacts relating to disability in order to view the portrayal or language used to discuss disability. I will be presenting this information to you in several sections, beginning with online research that I conducted, initial impressions, access for chair users, accessibility for deaf visitors, resources for blind individuals, portrayal of disability, and comparisons to two other Smithsonian Museums.
Planning Ahead with Online Research
Accessibility Page
In order to fully dive into what it looks like to visit the museum with accessibility requirements, I conducted research on the information presented on their website related to accessibility that allows for planning ahead. A link can be found here. There is specific focus on parking and museum access for those with mobility disabilities, those who are deaf and hard of hearing, those with vision loss, and those with cognitive impairments. This web page gave me specific details on what to look for as I went to the museum, and I specifically made sure to find the elevators, companion care restrooms, free manual wheelchairs, and the amount of benches. For those who are hard of hearing or deaf, the website states that sign language tours are available if requested two weeks in advance, as well assistive listening systems. For the blind and low vision, it suggests that visitors download Aira Access, as it has verbal description services where an agent directly speaks to you. Visitors with cognitive disabilities are given notice of quieter times at the museum. In addition, two specific exhibits, America on the Move and Star-Spangled Banner are mentioned that are designed to aid those with cognitive and sensory processing disabilities
Database Search
In addition, I researched what exhibits may have relevant artifacts relating to disability, and I search key words in the museum data base such as, "disability," "handicapped," "medicine," "wheelchair," "crutch," and "straight jacket." By doing this, I decided that I wanted to see the American Enterprise, American Stories, The Price of Freedom: Americans at War, Special Olympics at 50, and Modern Medicine and the Great War. I found most references related to polio vaccinations or activism pins from the 1960s, and bottled medicines from the early 1900s. Sadly, Ed Roberts wheelchair was not on display at the moment, which I had been excited to see after reading Designing Disability by Elizabeth Guffey. In addition, many of the pins and medical artifacts are not currently on display. Blog
The American History Museum also has a blog "O Say Can You See" where many articles relating to disability, including history and changing perceptions, are posted. Two examples include "'body/freedom/art': Rethinking disability through art," by Chelsea Miller, and "Smashing barriers to access: Disability activism and curb cuts" by Julie Peterson. I think that this is an essential aspect of the blog, as the museum holds great power in whose story they choose to tell.Now that we have discussed the information that I found on the website, let's see what we actually find inside!
Initial Impressions
When I first found the museum, I was impressed that the front entrance did not include any stairs. It was a gradual slope up to the front doors.
The lobby was dark and difficult to navigate as there was no natural light, and many of the lights were fluorescent. At first I was overwhelmed, as the museum was very busy for 10:30 am, but I was easily able to locate a map. I asked the friendly volunteer stationed at the map if she had any recommendations for exhibits that may feature artifacts relating to disability, and she directed me to American Enterprise, which had actually been first on my list.
First Exhibit: American Enterprise
This exhibit was on the second floor, but I was easily able to locate the elevator as it was directly next to the escalators. Once I reached the second floor, there were more windows and light, but all of the walls were made of a granite material, which could make it difficult for those using sign language to see hands clearly (Gallaudet University; Holder 2019).I found the overall accessibility of this exhibit to be quite good in some areas, put poor in others. Flat, wide pathways allowed for easy maneuvering with the writing, most of it black text on a well-lit white background, only about one foot off the ground. The negatives included inconsistent lighting, with some portions being too dark to read. In addition, signing would have been difficult in this room as all of the lights came from the ceiling and cast glares and shadows. There were also no tactile or braille elements throughout this entire section.
This exhibit was based around business and innovation beginning in the 1700s to current day. The first part of the exhibit features advertisements, and a group of small, glass bottles caught my eye right from the start.
These small medicinals were used to treat an array of ailments, all which support the medical model of disability as citizens are told that they must conform to a "normal" body. As stated in Disability in Higher Education, "deviation from the average was viewed as deviant, abnormal, and in need of correction in order for a person to be acceptable in society," (Evans et al. 2017). These tiny vials were pushed onto the public of the time, claiming to treat all ailments, eventually fostering an approach to health that gave medicine all authority to claim who was broken and who was whole.
Other artifacts related to disability included an artificial heart, a defibrillator, a homemade prosthetic leg, and mention of the creation of the Social Security Administration during the New Deal Era.
American Stories
I next headed to the American Stories exhibit, as I was curious whether any elements of individuals with disabilities would be remembered in this telling of America's history. In this exhibit I found a cane used by Benjamin Franklin, a leg splint from the early 1940s designed for the military, and prosthetic leg socket from 2003 with a focus on soldiers sustaining injuries. These artifacts exclude those who are born with disabilities, as they were made to support the aging or the heroes injured in battle. Although veterans returning from war made America more aware of disabilities in society and brought disabled individuals into the public view, I still wish that there had been more mention of those with disabilities such as Deafness, visual impairments, Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities, or disabilities from birth. One artifact that demonstrated the activists in the disabled community includes a pin with the Black Power fist reading "support disability rights," which is in support of the social activism model of disability (Evans et al. 2017).
The overall accessibility for this exhibit was similar to the first with low plaques of black writing on a white background, but everything was less bright and poorly lit. I did notice two benches for seating that had not been present in the final museum. One final note for the American Stories exhibit includes a sign on the wall intended for deaf and hard of hearing individuals.
A universal sign for hearing impaired individuals is drawn, along with the names of the two songs playing in the background throughout the entire exhibit. Upon first glance, I thought that this was a great example of the museum going above and beyond accessibility, as this is not a requirement, but something that is allowing for all to have the same experience. Yet although the music was supposed to be giving us all a common experience, for some it actually may be hindering their ability to view and read the material in the exhibit. The music was loud and distracting, and those with ADHD or ADD may have been impacted, including other with sensory sensitivities. I am now more aware of the ideas behind Universal Design, a concept whose goal is, "the design and composition of an environment so that it can be accessed, understood and used to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their age, size, ability or disability." This portion of museum to me is a great example of the difficulties in creating a space that is perfect for each individual, as needs can differ so greatly. When trying to include one group, you completely forget another. Time to head upstairs!
Special Olympics at 50
When initially researching online, I found the Special Olympics anniversary exhibit, but it didn't look exactly how I had pictured it would. The entire exhibit consisted of a single wall about fifteen feet long, focusing on four athletes. Although I am glad that the Special Olympics is recognized, the extent of the material towards disability was quite small, only giving the person's name and what sport they had chosen to compete in.
The Help Desk
After the small exhibit on the Special Olympics, I located the help desk on the second floor. There were three workers present, and as I was the only one there, I was able to ask plenty of questions. They pointed out the physical resources available relating to different disabilities, which included parking lots with handicapped spaces, manual wheelchairs available free of charge, a braille guide for the larger exhibits in the museum, and a braille map of the museum. In addition, they recommended that I look at the app AIRA for the visually impaired, which the Smithsonian will pay for you to use in order to speak to an agent who will describe the exhibit to you in real time. When I asked what exhibit is the most accessible overall, the volunteer recommended On the Move, which she stated is the oldest exhibit that has had the most time to be renovated. In addition, she stated that she had volunteered in most of the Smithsonian Museums, and she thought that the American History Museum was the most accessible.Before I made a visit to that exhibit, I tried to find the Smithsonian Disabilities and Accessibility Office, as the woman at the help desk told me that the office for all of the Smithsonians was located at the American History Museum, but there was no signage or access to the public.
A Quick Glance: Celebrating American Identities
I did a quick walk through of this exhibit to see if disability culture or identity was mentioned at all, but there was absolutely nothing.
Here the text reads, "Family, community, and religious celebrations help define who we are. Through them we value our traditions and create new ones. We invite you to experience some of the many ways we celebrate our identity and establish our place in the United States."
One Final Exhibit: On the Move
This was my final stop in the museum, and I was excited to go as I had read and heard that it was the most accessible exhibit. All of the videos were captioned, and the tactile supplements were present for nearly every artifact with Braille for some.
This part of the museum was great, but it was frustrating to me how different it was from the rest of the museum.
Overall, the inconsistency throughout this one museum means that disabled individuals are planning to visit must do some research in advance, and I would recommend calling ahead to speak with a volunteer to arrange for tours or pamphlets. In my experience, the help desk was very knowledgable and up to date on where those with disabilities could go, and although the information is not readily available through signage when you are in the museum, finding staff and planning ahead can make this museum accessible. Some aspects that I would love to see improved in the museum is a better, specific guide for exhibits that are accessible for particular individuals with varying needs. In addition, it would be great if the Smithsonian community would put forth an accessibility plan available to the public with goals of making more and more information accessible, as only one exhibit contained tactile elements, meaning that choice is limited. Finally, lighting should be addressed in all of the exhibits, as although it is essential to maintain the integrity of the artifacts, I had a difficult time reading the plaques and seeing through the shadows, and I have nearly perfect vision with contacts.
Some questions we should all be asking ourselves, especially when traveling to a new space:
Who was considered when this space was designed?
Who designed the space?
When was it completed?
Who is represented and welcomed here?
What are physical indications of access, if any?
These questions have helped me to become more aware of my built surroundings and their role in creating or destroying inclusion and accessibility for all. I will be keeping them in mind as I continue to go to new and old places, and especially on my upcoming trip to Japan.
References:
Accessibility. (2019, March
11). Retrieved from https://americanhistory.si.edu/visit/accessibility
DeafSpace. (n.d.). Retrieved
from https://www.gallaudet.edu/campus-design-and-planning/deafspace
Guffey, Elizabeth. (2018). Designing
Disability: Symbols, Space, and Society. Bloomsberry Academic.
Holder, S. (2019). D.C.'s 'Deaf Space'
Revolution. City Lab. Retrieved from
https://www.citylab.com/design/2019/03/deafspace-design-disability-architecture-hard-of-hearingdc/582613/?fbclid=IwAR0RIWXlCrXypB6kPiNlV7OCMIYBdnsmeY0bVaq8z4Cd6GYlOcVJtlzsM-k
N.J. Evans, E.M. Broido, K.R. Brown, A.K.
Wilke. (2017). Disability in Higher Education: A Social Justice
Approach. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
What is Universal Design. (n.d.). Retrieved
from http://universaldesign.ie/What-is-Universal-Design/
