Managing Museum Visitors’ Journeys with Disabilities: Some Best-in-Class Approaches

Museums are agents of change with a strong identity value. The cultural and social role they are called to play reflects a relevant component of community well-being. In this context, the processes of cohesion and social integration of which museums are an integral part require the definition and development of inclusive and accessible approaches to the cultural fruition of every single stakeholder involved in the creation of cultural value, including visitors with disabilities. The objective pursued is placed in the context of obtaining insights made up of the major museum institutions. In this direction, the present study investigates through a qualitative approach the presence of best-in-class approaches to the definition and management of cultural itineraries accessible to people with physical, sensory, and cognitive disabilities. The case analysis reveals that the accessible approach to cultural participation is expressed in a systemic vision of the culture-based experience guided by top-down processes in which participatory and integrated project management is integrated. According to an analysis of the international cases of museum institutions that are experimenting with innovative and attractive strategies, some theoretical implications are expected to achieve a strengthening of literature on inclusive and accessible cultural participation and some practical implications for addressing museum management to strengthen the well- being of the community.