AMBASSADORS NETWORK.
One billion people live with some form of disability (WHO) with about 24% of those aged 16 and over, declaring a disability within the EU. Furthermore the EU population is aging. Therefore the number of people with access needs is both significant and growing.
Ensuring equal integration into society for all, including traveling and experiencing cultural heritage, continues to be a significant challenge. Cultural heritage (including museums, galleries, monuments and other cultural heritage sites) provides opportunities for social inclusion, a sense of community, informal education and lifelong learning. As such it should be accessible to all!!
The AccessCult project seeks to improve the accessibility of cultural heritage and thus promote lifelong learning opportunities for everyone. In order to build the momentum and sustainability of this agenda the Accessible Museum Ambassadors Network was initiated.
The Accessible Museum Ambassadors Network is a community of professionals and researchers from around the world who advocate for inclusion and accessibility in museums and cultural heritage experiences, whether they be on site or online. The network was created to promote dialogue on accessible cultural heritage between diverse stakeholders. It also aims to bridge the gap and enhance understanding between cultural heritage professionals and cultural heritage visitors with disabilities.
The key role of each ambassador is to promote accessibility of cultural heritage and to provide a bridge between cultural heritage professionals and visitors with diverse needs. Additionally, Ambassadors are invited to:
– Raise accessibility issues and promote accessibility measures within their working environment and/or any cultural heritage related community.
– Regularly engage with cultural heritage professionals and encourage them to consider and enhance the (in)accessibility of their museum exhibitions and events.
– Collaborate with disabled communities (e.g. disability associations and/or individuals) to learn from them and to co-create accessible museums and heritage sights.
– Work with relevant stakeholders and decision-makers to inform regulation, financing and empowering accessibility measures (e.g. local, regional and national authorities and policy makers).
– Stay up to date with, and potentially contribute to the development and dissemination of accessibility requirements and guidelines, research and practice.
Ambassadors will have the opportunity to collaborate through activities carried out within the AccessCult project (trainings, round tables, final conference) and beyond (for example through external accessibility related events, conferences, joint academic and non academic publications, future EU projects etc.).
People with disabilities
Museum, gallery and cultural heritage workers (curators, guides)
Museum, gallery and cultural heritage managers
Researchers, professors and students of museology, heritology, history and history of arts, archeology for public, disability studies etc.
Disability, inclusion and accessibility experts, professionals and advocates (accessibility guides and assistants, disability managers, occupational therapists)
Other interested professionals or individuals
If you want to be part of this community that aims to create a bridge between cultural heritage professionals and visitors with diverse impairments, please feel free to leave us a message in contact section
NOTE: Ambassadors are ordered by countries and alphabetical order (surname)
Italy
Lithuania
Slovenia
Spain
United Kingdom
Other countries
ITALY
Curci, Chiara
High school degree in languages: English, Spanish and German.
Gallo, Florian
Bachelor degree in Psychological sciences of personality and interpersonal relations.
Mastrokoukou, Sofia. Dr.
PhD degree in Sociology. MSc in Public Policy and Social Change.
LITHUANIA
Daukantienė, Danutė
Head of the Disabled People’s Center “Klaipedos Lakštutė”
Jonikaitė, Agnė
Chief educator at the Clock Museum of the Lithuanian National Museum of Art
Liutkutė, Loreta
Head of the Adult Service and Information Department of the Imanuelis Kant Public Library of Klaipėda City Municipality
Rumbutytė-Šimienė, Eglė
Chief educator at the Clock Museum of the Lithuanian National Museum of Art
SLOVENIA
Oder, Karla. Dr.
Curator, museum councellor employed at the Carinthian Regional Museum
Perko, Lucija
MA in Interior/Industrial Design, PhD student in Heritology
Perko, Verena
Archaeologist, museologist, Senior museum curator, university teacher, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Rebernik, Nataša
PhD and Project Manager and Researcher in Disability Inclusion at INUK (Institute for Advanced Communication Management), Maribor, Slovenia
Rihter, Andreja
PhD in History, Faculty of Arts at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Ziherl, Ana Katarina
Museum Advisor, Technical Museum of Slovenia
SPAIN
Alonso Hernando, Celia
Psychologist and project coordinator in Aspanias Burgos Foundation
Caro Rodríguez, Inmaculada. Dr.
PhD for the English and North American Literature Department at the Faculty of Philology at the University of Seville (Spain)
del Campo Solís, María Cirila
Business Manager
García Llorente, Cristina
Director-Manager of the Caja de Burgos CAB Art Center and Cultural Manager, Spain
Gómez Linacero, Rut
Official tour guide of the Government of Canary Islands, Tenerife, Spain
Iniesta Ibañez, Mirian
Agent in Sociocultural activities. Murcia City Council. Murcia. Spain.
Leal Gago, Nuria
Manager of the Museum of Aromas, in Santa Cruz de la Salceda, Burgos, Spain
López Guerra, Ana
President of the Professional Tourist Guides Association (APIT), Spain
Ortega-Sánchez, Delfín. Dr.
Vice-rector for Social Responsibility, Culture and Sport at the University of Burgos (Spain)
Rodríguez Fernández, Miriam
Research fellow in the DINper Research Group of the University of Burgos (Spain)
Sanz de Acedo Caballero, Beatriz
Official tour guide in Burgos Turismo (co-founder), Burgos (Spain)
Talavera Benito, Jonatan
Cultural Manager of the Museum of Aromas, in Santa Cruz de la Salceda, Burgos, Spain
UNITED KINGDOM
Benjamin, Elizabeth. Dr.
Lecturer in French at Coventry University, UK
Garro, Olivia
Membership Recruiter & Events Stewart, The British Museum
Harrod, Kirsty
PhD candidate at Coventry University
Martin, Shaniece
PhD student at Coventry University
Treloar, Marley
PhD researcher at Coventry University