This article was published in Spanish in issue 11 (2024) of the journal Chaski, published by ICOM LAC (ICOM Regional Alliance for Latin America and the Caribbean). It has been translated by professional translators into French and English for publication in the ICOM Voices series. Since November 2025, a new issue is available: issue 12, which focuses on the history of the National Committees of Latin America and the Caribbean.
Natalia Miralles holds a degree in Fine Arts from the University of Chile and teaches Visual Arts at the Catholic University of Chile. She also has a PhD in Art Education from the Complutense University of Madrid and a diploma in Inclusive Education and Disability from CEDETI UC (Centro de Desarrollo de Tecnologías de Inclusión). Since 2006, she has worked as a teacher and researcher in the field of non-formal arts education. Her areas of research include arts education in museums and the inclusion of people with disabilities in culture and the arts. She is currently a member of the art department at Alberto Hurtado University and director of @arteautista.
Background to the roadmap
For several years now, museums have recognised the importance of making their spaces accessible to all. Inclusion is widely regarded as an urgent priority.
For this reason, it is important to define what we mean by ‘inclusion’ in museums and consider how this can be achieved. This must take into account the specific needs of the groups to be included.
UNESCO[1] points out that ‘Inclusion is about the presence, participation and achievement of all students’, with ‘a particular emphasis on those groups of learners who may be at risk of marginalization, [or] exclusion’ (UNESCO, 2005). In this respect, it is important for each museum to identify the groups at risk of exclusion and develop strategies to improve in the three areas cited. Museums that have already made progress in this area have identified people with disabilities as being at constant risk of exclusion. This text will focus on this particular group of people and the challenges they face in exercising their right to access museums and cultural heritage.
People with disabilities often face a number of barriers that prevent them from exercising their rights and affect them in different areas. Their difficulties in accessing healthcare and education are the ones that have been studied the most, but access to cultural heritage is also an issue. Most museums and cultural institutions are not truly inclusive, and they don’t place inclusivity at the centre of their agenda. Access is only one part of the equation; as Espinosa and Bonmatí point out, it is essential to bring about a complete change of approach:
The desire to create accessible facilities often goes no further than the law requires or certification dictates. True accessibility, however, is much more than that; it means putting yourself in others’ shoes, designing for all, and ensuring that there are no unnecessary barriers to the whole experience, from entrance desks to itineraries, offices, shops, and libraries (2013, p.20). [translated from Spanish]
2006 was a milestone in the recognition of unfair and discriminatory treatment towards disabled people. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was approved by the United Nations[2] and was submitted for ratification by states in 2007. It has now been ratified by 190 member states and serves as a guide for a number of public policies on disability.
The 50 articles of the Convention address various issues that concern persons with disabilities, and specify actions and measures that seek to ensure that they can exercise their rights in the same way that other people can.
Article 30 of the Convention, entitled Participation in cultural life, recreational activities, leisure and sport, emphasises the importance of accessibility:
States Parties recognize the right of persons with disabilities to take part on an equal basis with others in cultural life, and shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that persons with disabilities:
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Enjoy access to cultural materials in accessible formats;
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Enjoy access to television programmes, films, theatre and other cultural activities, in accessible formats;
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Enjoy access to places for cultural performances or services, such as theatres, museums, cinemas, libraries and tourism services, and, as far as possible, enjoy access to monuments and sites of national cultural importance (2007).
In the same year that several countries in Latin America began to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, another highly important document in the world of museums, the Salvador Declaration, was also issued. The declaration emerged from the First Ibero-American Meeting of Museums, which was held in 2007 in Salvador de Bahía (Brazil). The declaration marked the beginning of international cooperation aimed at rethinking museums and acknowledging them as agents of change and development. Although the document does not specifically refer to the importance of including persons with disabilities in museums’ educational and cultural programmes, it does highlight the importance of diversity. It recognises that:
the universe of Ibero-American museums is expanding and its differentiating characteristic lies in its commitment to education, in appreciating the social role of museums, and in acknowledging that they are technologies and tools that need to be democratized and used in favor of human dignity and social development (Declaration of the City of Salvador, 2007, p. 4-5)[3].
This declaration marks the beginning of the Ibermuseos Programme,[4] an intergovernmental initiative that, since its creation, has promoted exchange, cooperation and the sharing of knowledge among museums in Ibero-America.
These initial advances revealed the need for progress in terms of accessibility and inclusion, and were complemented by the establishment of laws and museums policies developed, in various countries in the region, in accordance with the principles of the Convention on accessibility and inclusion.
Although 17 years have passed since these benchmarks were established, there are still many barriers that persons with disabilities must overcome in exercising their right to participate in cultural life, and even more so when it comes to entering the field themselves and gaining recognition for their contributions, as advocated by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities:
States Parties shall take appropriate measures to enable persons with disabilities to have the opportunity to develop and utilize their creative, artistic and intellectual potential, not only for their own benefit, but also for the enrichment of society (article 30).
Reflections on inclusion in museums in the Chilean and Latin American contexts
The initiatives described above have been an important factor in the development of accessibility and inclusion in Ibero-American museums. One significant factor is undoubtedly the support given by the Ibermuseos programme, which fosters exchange, reflection and the creation of useful tools such as repositories of good practices, an online course on the issue, and the preparation of accessibility reports in conjunction with the individual countries.
It should be noted, however, that most of the initiatives target sensory disabilities, such as sign language for deaf people, and Braille, audio description, and other tactile systems for blind and visually impaired people.
This can be seen clearly in the special issue «Museo y Acceso» [Museums and Accessibility] of the journal Museos produced by the Subdirección Nacional de Museos (Chile).[5] This issue presents various inclusion initiatives in Chilean museums. Of the seven initiatives related to the inclusion of people with disabilities described in it, six are on the inclusion of deaf, blind, or visually impaired people. This almost exclusive focus on the sensorial disabilities can be explained by the lack of knowledge among museum staff about broader aspects of disability, reasonable accommodation,[6] and inclusive education.
In practice, this lack of knowledge means that most museums focus on physical accessibility – in an attempt to comply with regulations – and sensory disability. Adjustments for the latter consist of making basic adaptations to the content and implementing them through systems used by people with sensory disabilities. The last part of the process is often carried out by external professionals.
However, the situation is different for individuals with intellectual disabilities and mental health conditions, as well as for those on the autism spectrum who require significant support. Museum professionals lack training in this area, which is one of the reasons why easy-reading or clear language devices, sensory adaptations, and augmentative and alternative communication devices have not yet been widely developed.[7]
The situation is similar when it comes to tours and educational programmes; a lack of relevant knowledge prevents professionals in the field of education from successfully implementing adaptations or designing inclusive activities. This happens frequently because of a lack of clarity about how to communicate, what levels of content to deliver, and how to implement the adjustments that such activities require. This lack of knowledge is one of the reasons why some museums choose not to undertake work with these groups; not because they don’t want to, but because they are frightened of not doing so correctly.
The results obtained by the Self-Assessment Tool for Museum Accessibility[8] developed by Ibermuseos illustrate this situation clearly. This tool has enabled several countries in the region to evaluate the accessibility of their museums in the following areas:
| Building | Location |
| Safety | Consultancy |
| Exhibitions | Communication |
| Training | Employment |
| Evaluation | Management |
Several Latin American countries have already produced accessibility reports[9] based on analyses carried out using the self-assessment tool. These analyses show that one of the lowest accessibility rates relates to the communications sector, where compliance stands at barely 30%.
In this field, the Ibermuseos tool ‘measures the inclusiveness of the museum’s outreach and information, both on- and off-line’.
Focusing on the specific characteristics of the museum and its surroundings, some of the questions raised by the self-assessment tool are:
- Does the museum have eye-catching, easy-to-read exterior display panels?
- Do all of the museum’s information materials include information for people with disabilities?
- Are the needs of visitors with disabilities in terms of access to information taken into account?
The low degree of compliance in these areas reveals the extent of the challenge faced by museums when it comes to delivering information to different types of visitors. It is striking that much more is invested in physical accessibility, which is considerably more expensive, than in tools to enable cognitive accessibility. These are important tools that museums could use to reach out to people with intellectual disabilities or mental health conditions, people on the autism spectrum who have significant support needs, and other groups at risk of exclusion – such as migrants who are not proficient in the language, or people who have difficulty understanding texts, whether due to low educational attainment or other reasons.
Furthermore, there are people who continue to feel that museums are places for the elite and who do not feel drawn to them, either because they do not understand what is on display or because the exhibitions use language that is too technical and not clear.
The urgent need to address the situation has already been raised in various ways. The Movimiento de Justicia Museal [Museum Justice Movement] in Argentina,[10] for example, sticks up posters near museums that issue challenges such as ‘Museums are for everyone, but only the elite know that’, or ‘There is not just one culture’, or ‘Museums lack street cred’, challenging and calling on the community to rethink the role of museums and consider who they are made for.
The founder of the movement, Johana Palmeyro, stresses that museums must implement the following changes:
We need to take action, break down hierarchies, and stop theorising so much. We must integrate public policies that consider accessibility, gender perspective and intersectionality as cross-cutting issues in all sectors, without relegating them solely to actions in the educational field… We need to undertake projects together with social groups, schools, workers, social activists, artists, collectives and communities in order to broaden our perspective and create environments that are accessible to all, respect children, cultural and sexual diversity, and are free from violence and discrimination. [translated from Spanish]
When it comes to making progress in inclusion, it is essential to give a voice to disabled people and to respect the fundamental principle of the collectives that represent them: “nothing about us without us”. If museums remain passive, awaiting ideal conditions before taking action, nothing will change. The cultural sector in Latin America is characterised by a constant precariousness, but this cannot be used as an excuse; it is possible to introduce changes with limited resources, but these must be based on deep convictions and on the consistency of a museum project, not on personal wishes.
Cognitive accessibility: Notes on a challenge still to be met
The implementation of cognitive accessibility in museums requires a paradigm shift in museums’ thinking. It is now considered a priority issue that museums, as institutions serving society, should address:
The term ‘cognitive accessibility’ refers to the characteristics that environments, processes, goods, products, services, objects or instruments, tools and facilities must be endowed with in order to be intelligible or easy to understand. This measure is essential for the emotional well-being of the individual, since environments that are understandable make them more easily predictable, improve our sense of control, and encourage our participation (Belinchón et al, 2014). [translated from Spanish]
The Museos + Sociales[11] [More Social Museums] plan is an example of progress in this direction. The initiative was created with the aim of bringing about changes in Spanish museums in terms of social openness. Its guidelines set out the following:
Museums are the most important cultural institutions of the 21st century. They must therefore strive to avoid being perceived as elitist and instead be seen as welcoming and open to all, as spaces that provide answers to the public’s concerns and address their questions.
The Museos + Sociales plan was launched in 2015 by the [Spanish] Ministry of Culture, with the aim of ensuring that museums adapt to the social realities of the current context. [These institutions] must be accessible and respond to the needs of all citizens, especially those groups that have greater difficulties in accessing them or are most at risk of social exclusion. [translated from Spanish]
In the field of cognitive accessibility, public museums in Spain have created a map and a guide in easy-to-read format, which was produced by specialists from the Plena Inclusión confederation.[12] These documents are available on the website of all public museums.
Other museums in Spain have implemented QR codes that allow visitors to download easy-to-read material. One example is the downloadable brochure from the Museo ICO[13] developed by Plena Inclusión, which provides a comprehensive overview of the Photo España 2021 exhibition. These alternatives provide cognitive accessibility without modifying the museography.
The reluctance to make changes to museum displays has undoubtedly hindered progress towards inclusion in many museums. The insufficient focus on making content more accessible and the priority given to aesthetics over accessibility have been an obstacle to the development of mediation strategies for the general public and for disabled visitors. This is particularly critical in art museums, which, in the mistaken belief that art requires no mediation or explanation, have chosen to include only labels and curatorial texts (Santacana, 2005).
Furthermore, the limited use of visual aids, clear signage, and other adaptations that improve accessibility for people with disabilities or comprehension difficulties is often justified by the argument that these measures compromise the exhibitions’ curation and aesthetic appeal.
The tensions described are part of a process of museum renewal that must be taken further. Since the 1970s, the New Museology has placed communities at the centre of museum programmes, but this has not yet been translated into significant advances towards full physical and cognitive accessibility. This should prompt us to take action and implement changes to make museums spaces that are ‘open to the public, accessible and inclusive’, as stated in the new ICOM definition that guides their mission.
References
Belinchón, M., Casas, S., Díez, C. and Tamarit, J. (2018) Accesibilidad cognitiva en los centros educativos. Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte.
Espinosa, A. and Bonmatí, C. (2014) Manual de accesibilidad e inclusión en museos y lugares del patrimonio cultural y natural. Trea.
Palmeyro, J. (2012) Movimiento de Justicia Museal: Deconstruir y Resignificar/ Entrevistada por Verónica Glassmann. http://elgranotro.com/movimiento-justicia-museal/
Santacana, J. (2005) Bases para una museografía didáctica en los museos de arte. Enseñanza de las ciencias sociales (5),125-133
Declaración del Salvador (2007). Ibermuseos. https://www.ibermuseos.org/recursos/publicaciones/8878/
Informes de accesibilidad de Ibermuseos. Consulted on https://www.ibermuseos.org/recursos/noticias/nueva-publicacion-presentamos-el-informe-de-accesibilidad-de-costa-rica/
Convención de los derechos de las personas con discapacidad. (2007) Naciones Unidas. https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/documents/tccconvs.pdf
Plan Museos más sociales (Ministerio de Cultura de España, 2015) https://www.cultura.gob.es/museosmassociales/presentacion.html
Subdirección Nacional de Museos del Ministerio de las culturas, las artes y el patrimonio de Chile. Revista Museos (2017) n. 35. https://www.museoschile.gob.cl/noticias/revista-museos-numero-35
Notes
[1] UNESCO (2005). Guidelines for inclusion: Ensuring Access to Education for All. Paris.
[2] Document available at https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/documents/tccconvs.pdf
[3] Editor’s note: translation available at https://www.ibermuseos.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/declaracion-de-salvador-en.pdf
[4] The programme’s website provides access to the Salvador Declaration, a register of museums, repositories of good practices, and various documents of interest to the Ibero-American museum community: https://www.ibermuseos.org/
[5] The Museos journal, published since 1988, is an annual publication published by the Subdirección Nacional de Museos. The special issue on inclusion is No. 35 and can be downloaded from its website: https://www.museoschile.gob.cl/publicaciones/revista-museos-35.
[6] The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities defines reasonable accommodation as ‘necessary and appropriate modification and adjustments not imposing a disproportionate or undue burden, where needed in a particular case, to ensure to persons with disabilities the enjoyment or exercise on an equal basis with others of all human rights and fundamental freedoms’ (article 2).
[7] Augmentative and alternative communication is based on forms of expression other than spoken language that seek to increase levels of expression or to compensate in alternative ways (through visual aids) for communication difficulties that a person may have. These devices are called AAC (augmentative and alternative communication systems).
[8] The tool is a questionnaire developed with objectives and guidelines that can be consulted at https://www.ibermuseos.org/acciones/observatorio-iberoamericano-de-museos/herramienta-de-autodiagnostico-de-accesibilidad-para-museos/.
[9] The countries that are part of Ibermuseos and have made their accessibility reports available are Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Cuba, Uruguay, and Costa Rica.
[10] The Movimiento de Justicia Museal seeks to review and question issues related to museums through interventions in public spaces. Up-to-date information on their activities can be found on their social media pages: https://www.instagram.com/movimientojusticiamuseal/?hl=es-la
[11] Full details available at https://www.cultura.gob.es/museosmassociales/presentacion.html
[12] Plena Inclusión is one of the most important organisations in the field of cognitive accessibility. It is responsible for a large number of easy-reading adaptations in Spain and has a very important training programme for the entire Ibero-American community. Information on training and downloadable material on cognitive accessibility can be accessed at https://www.plenainclusion.org/
[13] Private museum located in Madrid that has carried out inclusive projects related to autism and cognitive accessibility. Its website can be accessed at https://www.fundacionico.es/arte