Experiencing accessibility of historical heritage places with individuals living with visible and invisible disabilities.
Alicia Ruiz-Rodrigo, Ernesto Morales, Maryem Lakoud and 6 others
PMID 38633764WHAT IT FOUND
Twenty-one adults with visible and invisible disabilities described how historic sites block participation.
Echoes, crowds, and sensory overload hindered autistic and deaf participants, while uneven pavement stopped one interview. Accessibility solutions requiring staff assistance reduced autonomy and caused discomfort.
Key findings
01Environmental features like echo and sensory overload were barriers for participants with invisible disabilities, not just mobility impairments.
02Participants felt that accessibility solutions requiring staff assistance, such as key-operated lifts, reduced their autonomy and were insulting.
03Physical barriers like uneven pavement caused pain and led one participant to stop her interview early.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample was small (21 participants) and recruited via convenience and snowball sampling, which may bias toward those with higher interest in heritage. Participants needed a relatively high level of autonomy to navigate the sites during interviews, so findings may not apply to those with more severe mobility or cognitive limitations. Data collection occurred in spring and summer, so winter-related barriers like snow and ice were not explored. Only one participant had an intellectual disability, limiting insights into that specific population's experiences.
Declared interests
The study was funded by Norms of Accessibility Canada and the Government of Canada. Some authors received individual scholarships from the Fonds de recherche du Québec. Université Laval and the Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux de la Capitale-Nationale contributed to the project.
The easy way to misread this
Do not generalize these findings to all people with disabilities or all historic sites. The sample was small, self-selected, and required high autonomy to participate, meaning experiences of those with more significant support needs or lower mobility may differ substantially.