Art Without Limitations: Making Heritage Accessible for All

Growing up in a family where her father is blind, her mother hard of hearing, her late sister used a wheelchair, and she herself is autistic. Amy understands the barriers that many face in accessing cultural experiences.

During a recent holiday in the UK, Amy visited various museums and was struck by their lack of disability-friendly access points. This realisation inspired her to advocate for more inclusive practices back home, leading to the development of initiatives at the UC Teece Museum in Christchurch.

Although it was established as an educational resource for university students, the Teece Museum houses a remarkable collection, from 600-year-old poultry mosaics to Neolithic artifacts dating back 9,000 years. Recognising the need for improved accessibility, Amy reached out to Terri, the museum's curator to advocate for changes that would make the space more welcoming for everyone.

The museum has since implemented several accessibility features, including wide walkways, large-font descriptions with high-contrast backgrounds, and wheelchair ramps. Amy’s efforts are just beginning; she recently completed an audit training program and is currently working on audio transcriptions of the artifacts for visually impaired visitors.

Amy is now offering her talent to new clients who want to learn more about accessible thinking, and how to imbed accessibility into everything you do. 

“There is always this assumption that it is very expensive to create a disability-friendly space, but this isn’t always the case; it can be as simple as upping the font size so it’s easier to read.”

She compared New Zealand's current view on disabled people to when her father was growing up, where they were amazed at what he could do as a blind person. Stating that accessibility is becoming more in the front of people's minds now, she said "we’re included in the NZ Census, where 1 in 4 people identify as disabled."

As part of Heritage Week, Amy's giving a talk entitled "Accessible Heritage: Opening Heritage Spaces to the Disabled Community." 

It's being held on Thursday October 24 at 5:30pm at the Teece Museum of Classical Antiquities, UC Arts City, The Arts Centre (3 Hereford St, Christchurch).

To learn more about the Christchurch Heritage Festival events held 12-28 October www.ccc.govt.nz/news-and-event