Sensory Friendly Spaces and Programming in Art Museums

Sensory Friendly design and programming interventions can make art museums more inclusive and engaging for the communities which they serve. In 2022, Shelburne Museum launched a Sensory Friendly Fridays pilot program to offer special viewing hours for featured exhibitions in a light and sound adjusted environment with visitor aids such as a multi-modal registration processes, a sensory cart containing tactile and educational materials, and digital/print support materials (social narrative, sensory conditions guide, physical accessibility guide, and communication aid/cue card). Created in consultation with Inclusive Arts Vermont – a local organization focusing on arts integration and disability advocacy – this program for children, teens, and adults alike was designed to offer a positive museum-going experience for visitors with varying sensory processing differences.

Through an examination of this case study, Shelburne Museum's former Assistant Director of Education and DEAI Coordinator, Monica Andrews, will explore how museum educators, curators, and exhibition designers can incorporate principles of Universal Design into art museum exhibitions and programming, create assistive print & digital materials, collaborate with local partners, and implement ongoing evaluation to enhance accessibility to create welcoming and engaging experiences for audiences with multifaceted needs.