Observation and Reflection

For this observation blog post, I decided to work with one of the Butler staff members who is also a docent. After our conversation and her written acknowledgement of my museum passions and interests, I thought of several ideas. Since I’m deeply passionate about accessibility, assistive technology, and providing an inclusive museum experience for all, one of my current goals, as she mentions below, is to expand the number of accessibility options for the museum. I think the best way to approach the expansion of accessibility experiences is to continue to train docents and staff members regarding accessibility. In other words, a majority of the security staff truly aren’t familiar with the necessary museum accessibility practices that should be followed when a disabled visitor enters the Butler. They don’t yet really understand the significance of providing a welcoming experience. Also, in the next docent class, an emphasis should be placed on training for accessibility concerning guided tours. For instance, if a visitor or group of visitors is blind or low vision, specific techniques should be used during the tour, so each individual can fully participate. When a visitor uses Aira and a docent is asking questions, the blind or low vision individual can take full advantage of the experience if the docent addresses that person by name. The visual interpreter can describe exactly what the docent is referring to in a specific painting or artwork, so the visitor can truly be engaged in the museum setting.

One specific aspect that I will continue to work on to improve accessibility is demonstrating to staff members that the text size for labels needs to be increased. Currently, the print is extremely small, even for sighted individuals. If I’m walking through a gallery and looking at an artwork, a majority of the time, I will have to go extremely close to the work, so the Aira visual interpreter is able to read the text. I have shared on several occasions the necessity to increase the font size. I also thought of the possibility of creating a separate document that includes large print and braille labels that visitors can access either on the Butler website or at the front desk. I’ve seen several museums that provide online documents similar to my idea on their website. Visitors could even use their phone to pull up this document, so they can walk around more easily without having to worry about carrying a stack of materials with them.

When I first began discussing my accessibility initiative at the Butler with Lisa, and she asked me which goals/programs were most significant- she told me immediately that she could think of two key projects I have been working on: implementing Aira for docents, visitors, and employees, as well as the monthly Sensory Sunday program. She shared that Aira has not only impacted blind and low vision individuals, but also docents and other visitors. She mentioned it’s definitely advantageous to be able to use Aira at the Butler for a wide range of tasks, and it doesn’t specifically have to do with describing artwork. It can also relate to solving technology challenges as well. Just today, I was trying to print a document from the office printer across the hall, and I wondered why it wasn’t printing. I was on an Aira call at that time, so they were able to see my computer screen and the printer status prior to me going across the hall to check out what was happening. We saw that it was offline, so we ended up deleting the job from the queue and trying to reprint. I went across the hall to check, and the printer screen was black, so when I touched the screen to turn it on, it made the usual printing sound; however, nothing was printing. Then, I went back to my office and switched to my phone, so the interpreter could see the printer screen. A dialogue box had appeared on the screen, but the text was too small for me to read. The interpreter told me the dialogue box said that the printer had experienced a problem, so I had to hit the reset button on the screen. He directed me to the location of the button, so I could reset the printer. We waited for it to come back on, and this time, it printed the document I needed. As Lisa mentioned to me, as well as in her written observation, this is just one of countless ways Aira can be used by anyone, and they don’t have to be blind or low vision Explorers/Aira users.

Sensory Sunday is definitely another initiative that is significant within the museum setting, since it provides those with autism or other cognitive disabilities the opportunity to explore the Butler in a less congested setting. When a visitor enters, they can borrow a sensory bag- which is explained below, to make their museum experience more enticing and better suited for their needs. What isn’t mentioned is nonverbal individuals can use a series of museum related cue cards during their visit, so if they aren’t able to speak to a docent, security guard, or otherwise, they can simply hold up one of the cards. Not all nonverbal individuals have access to speech technology software, so this is definitely beneficial.

As I work to implement future accessibility goals and aspirations, such as offering sign language interpretation, either remotely or onsite, as well as providing an even more inclusive experience for a larger sector of the disability community, I will continue to focus on my successes and improve in specific areas that require collaboration between myself and other museum staff members. One other key example to mention is a future show that the Butler will be hosting in October. It is an exhibition geared toward the autism community from around the United States and will showcase their talents and abilities. Any autistic individual, regardless of age or ability, can participate. Displaying their artwork at a museum like the Butler will attract visitors from a wide range of the country. Many of these future visitors may not be familiar with all that our local art museum has to offer, and providing this type of collaboration will continue to enhance the DEAI principles and practices that I continue to advocate for on behalf of all visitors. I will continue to engage with other fellow museum staff members, docents, and visitors to provide the most accessible visual arts experience possible for everyone.

Observations and Reflections on Accessibility at the Butler Institute of American Art

Joy Mistovich is very passionate about the arts and accessibility for everyone at the museum including employees, docent volunteers, and visitors.

So far, she has accomplished two very successful programs

1. the gaining of accessibility and training of the docents in the use of Aira. This technology allows access through cell phones to a remote, live information source that visually describes what is in front of the person’s line of sight. Very helpful for people with low vision, Aira explores the museum for the practical purpose of navigating the building as well as exploring a piece of artwork on display.

2. Sensory Sundays allow people to go through the museum at their own pace. Upon entering the building, they are given a bag of sunglasses, fidget items to keep their hands busy, and headphones to cancel unwanted sounds. This quiet environment lends itself to more accessibility. Also available are a social narrative of the history of the museum types in Large Print, Braille, and regular type.

Future projects include:

1. Creating an audio tour using newer technologies such as a museum app people could install on their cell phones.

2. Have one or two tactile pieces of art on permanent display.

3. Do more for those visitors with auditory issues. Have a sign language interpreter at Dr. Zona’s lectures and have a docent with the ability to use sign language for giving tours.

4. Improve the physical space in Butler North for people attending social events there, like weddings, or students of the art classes that are held there. Perhaps put in some small ramps between the classroom level and the main area.

5. Get more involved with nationwide shows of art done by people with autism, young and old. Maybe develop an exhibit of our own area, similar to the Pastel Society, of art made by people who are autistic or have special needs (and talents).

6. An easy improvement that needs to be accomplished is changing the wall tags to a larger font with darker ink to make them easier to read.

7. Be sure to have a docent greeter available at the entrance whenever a special event is taking place such as a “meet the artist” show, a lecture, or the opening day of a new exhibit (particularly one sure to bring in many people like the pinstripe art show which was extremely popular.)

8. Be sure that the new website is kept up-to-date and is accurate for dates of exhibits and special programs. Continue to post on social media sites for a greater informational awareness.

Lisa Rohrbaugh, Docent

#reflectivepractice #research