Identifying Accessibility Barriers in Heritage Museums: Conceptual Challenges in a Period of Change

Museums are changing fast, yet they still need to respond to the challenges posed by a society that changes at an even faster pace. Human mobility, multi‐culturalism and increasing economic assymetries create an environment, in which the role of museums as public spaces emerges as particularly complex. In this paper, we discuss issues of social inclusion in heritage museums from a conceptual point of view. In particular, we examine the conceptual barriers posed to accessibility and participation by current spatial, communicative, social and sensorial approaches in museum practice and suggest possible ways to shift such obstacles. Some of these ways may necessitate paradigmatic changes in museum policies. The paper draws on various aspects of social and communication theory.