t was a heart-warming sight to see the visually-impaired follow a tactile path that was smooth in some places and rough at others where they had to stop, at an exhibition in the National Museum on Friday.
There was even a tactile banam (a Santali music instrument) that they could pick up, touch and feel.
The visit was organised after a day-long national workshop to discuss and deliberate how museums can be made friendly for people with disabilities (PwDs). Representatives from a number of museums, along with NGOs working with PwDs, discussed best practices from across the world and how they could be implemented in the Indian scenario.
The workshop comes two decades after the government passed the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995, and later ratified a 2007 United Nations Convention Declaration that reaffirms all differently-abled persons must enjoy all human and fundamental rights. This includes the right to freely participate in the cultural life of the community, and to enjoy the arts.
According to the 2011 Census, India has 27 million differently-abled persons. The participants felt knowing more and enjoying the culture and heritage of the country is one of the essential components of their personal growth. However, their participation in cultural life and enjoyment of arts has been somewhat restricted due to limited sensitisation at cultural institutions.
National Platform for Rights of Disabled convener P. Muralidharan said a majority of institutions have yet to either implement affirmative action or were doing it without the spirit. There was a call for museums in the country to popularise the use of Braille, audio systems and tactile graphics to promote cultural experience among PwDs.
The National Museum revealed its plans to make its exhibits more accessible to PwDs with the museum opening a tactile gallery this October. The exhibition was set up in collaboration with the National Museum, Unesco and NGO Saksham.
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