CAN YOU ACCESS CULTURE? AN EVALUATION MODEL FOR THE ACCESSIBILITY OF CULTURAL LOCATIONS

Abstract

Participation in social and cultural life is the right of every human being, but for some persons (with
disability, chronic illness, mobility and sensory issues…) it is greatly hindered by the inaccessibility of spaces and
content. This topic has recently gained importance, owing to our growing awareness of the percentage of persons
with mobility problems, and particularly regarding the aging population in many countries. Moreover, for several
countries, the issue of accessibility is also related to the growing importance of tourism to their economy or the
presence of many persons with disabilities related to wars. This paper presents the research on the evaluation of
the accessibility of cultural locations (urban sites, museums, parks, theatres, etc.) through in-depth interviews and
surveys with representatives of persons with disabilities, chronic illness, mobility and sensory issue and mental
health issues, and by creating an evaluation multicriteria model with guidelines based on these inputs. The results
reveal that while it is possible to evaluate the flow and content of cultural activities, there are problems of
inaccessibility and lack of awareness among the general and professional public