Marilina Mastrogiuseppe, Leandro Soares Guedes, Monica Landoni, Stefania Span, Elena Bortolotti, Garofolo I. et al., Mastrogiuseppe, Marilina, Soares Guedes, Leandro, Landoni, Monica, Span, Stefania, and Bortolotti, Elena
This paper describes the process of co-design of technological products to increase museum accessibility and engagement in visitors with mild or moderate intellectual disabilities (IDs). By using an Inclusive Research approach, a multidisciplinary team of experts, including researchers in Users Experience (UX), psychology, and education, museum curators and a group of participants with IDs (n=9) have participated as the research team. Participants with IDs were involved in two rounds of interviews. The first-round interview aimed to explore participants’ use and familiarity with technologies and to understand their interest in using technological tools in different contexts. The second-round interview aimed at exploring participants’ spontaneous choice between different tools classified as low (easy-to-read vs Augmentative and Alternative Communication) or high-tech (Augmented Reality) aids for acquiring new knowledge within a museum space. The analysis of the interviews revealed that there was a general consistency between previous technology use/experience/interest and the choice of ICT-based products by participants with IDs. These results highlight the importance of emphasizing a multidisciplinary dialogue and the active participation of IDs users to outline methodologies, programs, procedures, and international standards to foster inclusive access to cultural heritage.