Addressing Inclusivity in Hawaiʻi’s Art Museums: Accessibility Strategies for Visitors Who Are Blind or Have Low Vision

Abstract

In the past few decades, art museums have adopted more policies highlighting diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA). Of the DEIA practices, because of its broad definition and applications, accessibility in a disability context is often reduced to physical access. In addition to complying with the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), some institutions expand this definition by providing an engaging, educational, and satisfactory experience for all visitors. This research project broadly examines accessibility in Hawaiʻi’s leading art museums, the Honolulu Museum of Art (HoMA), Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture and Design, and the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum (HiSAM), with a focus on their inclusive strategies for visitors who have visual impairments. To assess the accessibility of Honolulu’s art museums, interviews were conducted with museum educators across the country, who were chosen based on their expertise and experience in disability accessibility in art museums. A survey conducted between May and August 2022, examined the three museum’s permanent and temporary exhibitions in terms of exhibition design, programming, and curatorial practices. The assessment revealed that HoMA, Shangri La, and HiSAM adhered to the ADA guidelines, however, their policies and practices were predominantly limited to visual engagement. Thus, recommendations consisted of the addition of supplementary materials, such as alternative forms of labels, an online gallery, and the acquisition of more multisensory works into the collections. It is hoped that the adoption of some of these accessibility strategies will also prompt creative methods of engagement.