Contents accessibility in archaeological museums and sites: a proposal for a neuropsychological approach

With specific reference to the issue of accessibility to cultural content and the inclusion of different audiences, the Authors point out an overview where museums usually tend to create educational activities and support assistive devices dedicated to specific audiences, rather than integrated solutions, that can “be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible”, as stated in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006). Based on previous studies on cultural accessibility and emotional appropriation, the Authors have recently carried out a survey focused on archaeological museums audiences, considering their expectations, their reactions, and their prejudices. At the same time, they have conducted an extensive series of online interviews with Curators and Directors of many archaeological museums and sites in Europe and worldwide, including some in-depth site visits too. The investigations and surveys carried out have strengthened the awareness that museum spaces generate not only cognitive, but also physical and emotional reactions, and that the various publics react to cultural stimuli in very different ways. Therefore, while designing museum communication, a disciplinary contamination involving the field of neuropsychology is needed. By illustrating the current research and describing a series of examples, the paper aims at highlighting how the “design for all” in museums is a field in continuous development.