A.A.C.cessible Culture

What is it?

The project ”A.A.C.cessible Culture” has been designed to enhance the existing AAC strategies with a set of tools and skills for the involved staff so that the target groups consisting of children and young people with communication deficits can enjoy and participate in the communication of cultural and artistic heritage.

Why is it important? / How can it help the professionals of the cultural sector?

The project included 5 training courses of three days each (two in Genoa, Italy, one in Katerini, Greece, one in Madeira, Portugal, one in Iași, Romania) focusing on the training needs of cultural and educational professionals in order to provide improved experiences to the persons suffering from various communication disorders, mainly from the autism spectrum, but also Down syndrome etc..

Taking part in the project, ”Moldova” National Museum Complex of Iași, Romania, has become the first museum in Romania to design special visits for the children and young people with communication disorders, thus considerably contributing to increasing the qualitative level of the museum experience.

The result is that the pictograms chosen in order to communicate with persons who cannot use verbal communication due to neurocognitive maladies can also be used to communicate with people such as refugees (e.g. from Ukraine) who speak only their language and have not been in the host country long enough so to be able to reasonably use it, therefore pictograms being universally recogniszable can be a very useful tool.

Project /organisation name

”A.A.C.cessible Culture: museums for everyone developing the Alternative Augmentative Communication tools (AACC)” Complexul Muzeal Național „Moldova” (”Moldova” National Museum Complex)

Where (country / region)

Romania, Iași

Type of institution

Museum

Permanent or temporary exhibition / project

Temporary project

Date

01/04/2021 - 31/03/2023

Physical / digital

Physical and online

Public targeted

Students with special education needs and their teachers and families

Device/ inclusive features

  • Sensory map
  • sensory bag
  • AACC box and tools

Collaborations / partners

Project leader

Solidarietà e Lavoro Società Cooperativa Sociale O.N.L.U.S. (SeL) (Italy)

Partners

  • Complexul Muzeal Național „Moldova”(Romania)
  • Uovonero (Italy)
  • Platon schools (Greece)
  • DomSpain (DS Formacio) (Spain)
  • Collegium Balticum – Akademia Nauk Stosowanych Z Siedzibą W Szczecinie (Poland)

Funding

Financed through the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union

Replicability/adaptability

The project can be adapted to all interested museums, provided the adequate training to professionals is provided and the due kits are created for the target groups.

Photos / videos to illustrate the good practice

Results / impact

  • AAC model for communicating/ teaching cultural heritage;
  • Handbook for teachers
  • Guidelines for cultural sector

Testimonials

ART&SIGNS

United for those in Needs: Learn, Open, Care, Keep