For Disability Pride Month in July, accessABILITY is working with organizations to create commitments to “Add the A” of accessibility into DEIA initiatives. We asked The Eiteljorg Museum how they are committed to #AddTheA and include people with disabilities in their events, spaces, and programs, and here’s what they said!
The Eiteljorg Museum takes pride in including accessibility in all of our DEAI initiatives, and we are actively working to improve the overall accessibility of the museum. Beyond our DEAI Council and our staff-led Accessibility Committee, we work closely with independent consultants, community members, organizations, and artists to ensure that our museum is accessible to all.
From programming and educational partnerships with the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ISBVI) and the Indiana Blind Children’s Foundation (IBCF), to internship partnerships with the Gregory S. Fehribach Center, Sensory-Friendly Days, and exhibitions like Please Touch!, which featured the touchable works of blind sculptor Michael Naranjo (Santa Clara Pueblo), the Eiteljorg museum is committed to #AddTheA by including people with disabilities in our institutional efforts!
Visitors made collagraph paintings with natural materials similar to those used in Jingle Rails: The Great Western Adventure during the Eiteljorg’s second Sensory-Friendly Day.
Michael Naranjo (left) discusses one of his pieces from the Please Touch! Exhibition at the Eiteljorg with students from ISBVI during his Artist-in-Residency in February 2020.
Students from ISBVI and the Eiteljorg’s Education Services Coordinator Eric Hinkle feel a touchable beadwork piece during a tour of the newly-redesigned Native American galleries at the museum. The students volunteered their time and expertise to educate staff and volunteers on how the new exhibit can be made more accessible.