Signify the Accessible Entrance

Avoid Protruding Objects

Reevaluate Your Restaurant

Design an Accessible Information Desk

Add an Accessible Family Restroom

Assess Your Assembly Areas

Involve Accessibility Advisors

Market Your Accessibility

The Accessible Gift Shop Advantage

Assistive Listening Systems (ALS) Help You Communicate Effectively

Background

With these electronic newsletters, ASTC seeks to support its members as well as other institutions in their ongoing efforts to open their doors to everyone, and specifically to persons with disabilities.

EXCHANGE topics are selected based on facility surveys conducted during the Accessible Practices Workshops ASTC co hosted with six science centers and one botanical garden during the period 2000 and 2002. Despite good intentions, remodeling and new construction, and ADA Guidelines that have been in place for more than a decade, we learned that barriers to full participation persist for visitors with disabilities.

EXCHANGE provides both a check-up and a means to take action. Issues bring you basic information and links to helpful web pages. Additionally, Read Others' Experiences makes the topic personal, giving perspectives of museum professionals, persons with disabilities, and ADA information specialists with and without disabilities; Share Your Experience is your opportunity to do just that.

Funding

Accessible Practices EXCHANGE is supported in part by grants from the National Science Foundation: ESI 9814917 and HRD 9906095. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Science Foundation.

Acknowledgments

The experiences of many individuals and organizations inform these pages. We want to especially thank staff at Adaptive Environments, Inc., who reviewed each EXCHANGE for accuracy, and accessibility consultants Carol Coleman and Laurie Gregorio, who advised on accessible web-page design. Beth Ziebarth, director of the Smithsonian Institution's Accessibility Program, provided experience, information, and inspiration. We also appreciate the assistance of Lynn Barth, designer, Steve Eichner, technical consultant, and Rakeb Suraphel, ASTC webmaster. Not listed by name are many others who graciously shared their knowledge and experience.

Disclaimer

ASTC is not responsible for the enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The information presented here is intended solely as informal guidance, and is neither a determination of your legal rights or responsibilities under the ADA, nor binding on any agency with enforcement responsibility under the ADA. This web site is not intended to offer legal, architectural, engineering, or similar professional advice. You should refer specific questions to an attorney, and/or national, state, and local ADA authorities.