Participation

The article highlights a gap in the debate on cultural accessibility in Italy, namely the limited attention given to the inclusion and well-being of trans and non-binary people in cultural institutions. In response, the document Musei e Generi, promoted by ICOM Italia, provides an ethical and methodological framework to support trans-inclusive museum practices. Based on qualitative research and the direct involvement of communities, the document addresses key issues such as language, governance, education, and participation. Accessibility is redefined as a systemic process that permeates all institutional dimensions, in alignment with the principles of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. In a context marked by political and cultural tensions, the contribution underscores the role of museums as active spaces for rights, recognition, and social transformation.

The article proposes accessibility as a dynamic and universal process, implying everyone and not single categories of audience. The museum is understood as an institution serving society, called to engage with communities and build shared narratives. Through concrete experiences gained in various museums of Sicily, multisensory approaches, multiple languages, and accessible tools integrated into daily practice are explored. The experiments described show how inclusion can transform places, roles, and relationships. The museum thus emerges as a living space of participation, responsibility, and civic cohesion.

The text reflects on the numerous impacts related to considering accessibility as a strategic principle to redefine the public role of museums. Accessibility policies build proximity, capable of creating trusting relationships and fostering new forms of participation. In this sense, the opening to the sensory-perceptual dimension in the visit paths enriches the museum narrative, welcoming new audiences; as well as the use of technologies as enablers of meaning. All these accessible interventions produce measurable returns, also in terms of economic sustainability: a mature managerial reading of the phenomenon shows how these interventions generate value in the medium-long term. Accessibility also produces effects on the level of social sustainability, expanding cultural citizenship, reducing inequalities, and generating relational well-being. Accessibility is therefore a fundamental lever for the future of museums and, above all, an investment that produces the future.

The author, Miriam Mandosi, reflects on the meaning and construction of co-design processes for cultural accessibility in the museums. She conveys the ethical implications and outlines the various phases, from ideation to the ongoing maintenance of the action.

A new professional development program offered by "Personeper. Accessibility in cultural venues," the national training program designed to improve the accessibility of spaces, content, and services in cultural venues, is available for on-demand access. Aimed at architects and designers, the program consists of three 10-hour courses. "Progettare accessibile" redefines the concept of accessibility and explores its full range, encouraging participants to move beyond mere regulatory compliance and embrace the principles of Design for All.

Simone Briatore reflects on museum narratives through the lens of intersectionality and the relationship established with the audience.

Design and Disability overturns the view that confines people with disabilities to passive users, showcasing their contribution to the history of design and contemporary culture from the 1940s to the present day.