There's no such thing as seniors...
Commitment: Equity & inclusion
What are seniors’ special needs? Or, if we throw away all our prejudices about being frail or slow, do we find out that they are just like us - longing for a connection, for competence and autonomy? And should we treat them differently or just like everybody else?
With demographic change, seniors will become more important as a visitor group. Often well-educated, well-off, experienced and motivated, seniors should be an interesting target group for museum-stakeholders. Yet most museums mainly think about accessibility when designing formats specifically for this group, often combined with the infamous coffee & cake. But if we want to be honest about inclusion, another approach is necessary.
Dr. Esther Gajek, researcher from the University of Regensburg, will share her findings on seniors, and the team of the "Inclusion Training for Explainers in Museums and Science Centers" project will share their experience of explainers training with a focus on senior visitors.
Facilitator
scientist, project manager, trainer
Museo Nazionale Scienza e Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci
Session speakers
Catherine Oualian is a trainer at Cité des sciences et de l'industrie in Paris, France. She will represent the Erasmus+ project ITEMS (inclusion training for explainers in museums and science centers) and explain how we came to raise the question of whether or not there is such a thing as seniors when it comes to museum programs.
Chair of European Ethnology
Dr. Esther Gajek, a researcher from the University of Regensburg is invited to share her findings on seniors in museums: Who are they really? She will analyze how museums construct an image of seniors, and present the diversity and variability of the group "seniors".
Education & Content Development
Katharina Hof is with the Ars Electronica in Austria and a second partner within the ITEMS program. She too will give input on the questions raised during the project development and present the answers we found - so far. (Hopefully, there will be more after this session!)
