Making Natural History Exhibits Multi-Sensory; Improving Learning for Disabled Visitors

波士顿科学博物馆提出了一项重大修改， 它的永久性新英格兰野生动物区展览馆， 为了提高对视力受损游客的有效性， 听力或移动性。 他们将记录并与其他人分享 博物馆成功的方法和技术， 展览会的发展过程是一个努力，以改善障碍 免费获取全国600多个科学和自然 历史博物馆。 博物馆已完成初步需求评估， 协助残疾人顾问，制定替代办法 设计解决方案，以解决有限的可达性问题， 有效地为大厅现有的立体模型，并组织了一个 设计团队，包括资深博物馆展览和教育 工作人员和残疾科学家和教育家作为共同PI。 的 马萨诸塞州艺术学院的适应性环境中心将 为残疾人设计和评估提供帮助 将由莱斯利的负责人乔治海因领导 学院的计划评估和研究小组。 经过广泛的设计和评估过程，新展品 这些单位将作为现有的教育设施建造， 大厅的立体模型，并将评估变化的影响， 作为传播计划的一部分， 专业文件和“如何”工作手册分发给 科学馆展品设计师在 美国科学技术中心协会 科学促进会。 这是一个具有挑战性的项目， 对残疾人的重大影响， 被排除在激励和信息资源之外， 科学博物馆和自然历史博物馆， 局限性。 科学博物馆的承诺是坚定的， 项目工作人员素质很高， 残疾人参与项目。

The Museum of Science in Boston proposes a major modification of its permanent New England Wildlife Zones exhibition hall in order to improve its effectiveness with visitors with impaired sight, hearing, or mobility. They will document and share with other museums the successful methods and techniques used in the exhibition development process is an effort to improve barrier free access in the country's more than 600 science and natural history museums. The museum has completed a preliminary needs assessment with the assistance of handicapped consultants, developed alternative design solutions to problems of limited accessibility and effectiveness for the hall's existing dioramas, and organized a design team that includes senior museum exhibition and education staff and a handicapped scientist and educator as Co-PI. The Massachusetts College of Art's Adaptive Environments Center will provide assistance in design for the handicapped and evaluation will be under the direction of George Hein, head of Lesley College's Program Evaluatlion and Research Group. Following an extensive design and evaluation process, new exhibit units will be constructed as educational adjuncts to the existing hall of dioramas, and the impact of the changes will be assessed, as part of a dissemination plan that will include popular and professional papers and a "how to" work book distributed to science museum exhibit designers with the assistance of the Association of Science Technology Centers and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. This is a challenging project with the opportunity for a significant impact on handicapped individuals who are often excluded from the motivational and informational resources of science and natural history museums by unnecessary design limitations. The Museum of Science's commitment is strong, the project staff are highly qualified, and there is active participation by handicapped individuals in the project.