Iwona Parzyńska, accessibility coordinator at the National Museum in Krakow

The activities carried out as part of the project were mainly the implementation of dozens of guided tours, workshops, integration meetings for a total of 689 people with disabilities

(including people with d/Deafness, blindness, intellectual disabilities and mental crises).

The project improved the accessibility of venues and events by

• production of 30 typhlographics and 12 audio-descriptions for blind people
• purchase of a portable induction loop
• translation of guided tours in Polish Sign Language
• training in accessibility and basic sign language for MNK employees
• installation of a navigation system for the visually impaired in the Museum’s buildings and the production of 7 information signposts for the branches
• preparation of a new system of internal signage in the Main Building (taking into account the various needs of the audience)
• renovation of the accessible bathrooms in the Main Building and the Cloth Hall

Participants cooperated with trainees from the Centre for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Krakow (7 blind and visually impaired people – testing of typhlographics and audio description, evaluation of guided tours) and from the Special School and Educational Centre for the Deaf (2 deaf people – consultation of texts for Polish Sign Language translations).

Audio navigation for the blind between the branches of the National Museum in Krakow was also prepared with a group of blind consultants from the Chance for the Blind Foundation.

The way in which the project was implemented proves that the best results can be achieved through the cooperation of experts, the accessibility coordinators and people with disabilities testing specific tools.

Iwona Parzyńska

Individual expert, accessibility coordinator at the National Museum in Krakow

https://kultura.uj.edu.pl/kontakt-sekretariaty

https://kultura.uj.edu.pl/podyplomowe/zarzadzanie-kultura/prowadzacy-zajecia/iwona-parzynska

Krakow, Poland

Plenipotentiary of the director for people with disabilities and accessibility coordinator at the National Museum in Krakow; Board member of the Polish Evaluation Society and member of the Polish Sociological Society – Sociology of Disability Section. Lecturer at the Faculty of Management and Social Communication in postgraduate studies ‘Cultural Management’, at the Faculty of Humanities of AGH in postgraduate studies ‘Coordinator and Accessibility Auditor’. Member of the Steering Group for the Culture Accessible Programme of the National Centre for Culture, member of the NIMOZ team for guidelines for museums concerning the Accessibility Plus Programme. Member of the Board of the School without Barriers Foundation for Education of Children and Young People with Associated Disabilities in Krakow. Author and co-author of publications on social and professional activation of persons with disabilities and their participation in culture.

A more accessible museum (July 2022 – June 2023) is a project to improve the accessibility of the offer and branches of the National Museum in Krakow and a large-scale education project aimed at people with disabilities.

PFRON (Państwowy Fundusz Rehabilitacji Osób Niepełnosprawnych – State Fund for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled Persons)

7 audio-visualised information typhlografics showing images of seven selected buildings of the National Museum in Krakow branches with audio description of the building navigation, permanent exhibitions and history of the monument.

Installation of a navigation system for the visually impaired in the National Museum in Krakow buildings.

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Prototypes of the devices have won praise from consultants on the autism spectrum and Down’s syndrome.

Co-founded as part of the project “Culture without barriers” (project leader: PFRON, implementation with EU funds – Axis IV. Measure 4.3 POWER 2014-2020) The undertaking lasted until 15 June 2022. A grant of 197,469.99 PLN was received. The project ended on 15 June 2023 and continued under the project “Museum even more accessible” until the end of 2023.

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Several dozen guided tours, workshops, integration meetings for a total of 689 people with disabilities (including people with d/Deafness, blindness, intellectual disabilities and mental crises). Accessibility and basic sign language training for MNK staff.

PL, EN, UKR (partly)

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