The next edition of the project „Museum without Exception” was launched on 15th May. The project is intended for people with vision disabilities, for the deaf, deafblind, as well as for those with intellectual disabilities. Guides (including experts in audio description and sign language interpretation) will present the permanent exhibition of the Emigration Museum in Gdynia free of charge. The admission to the exhibition is also free.

We believe that a modern cultural institution should be a place open to everybody – says Anna Posłuszna, the project coordinator. That is why the comprehensive offer for people with disabilities is called „Museum Without Exception”. We wanted to not only enable this group of people to visit the exhibition comfortably, but also to regularly include them in the cultural life of our institution.

In the framework of the „Museum Without Exception 2017”, it will be possible to have provided guided tours with Polish sign language interpretation or the manually coded language system. Guides proficient in audio description will help people with vision disabilities to get to know the building and to discover these elements of the exposition which can be explored not only by sight. Deafblind persons will have provided support of qualified interpreters-guides. Guides of people with intellectual disabilities, in turn, depending on their needs, may get the group familiar with the information on the main threads of the exhibition in an accessible way, as well as assist individuals, accompanying them during the whole visit and enabling individual reception of the museum. Support of the guides can begin as soon as upon picking up the Museum guest from the bus stop. The guides will be glad to point all needed places (changing room, toilet, café etc.) and provide other necessary assistance.

The offer of sign language interpretation applies to individual lectures and meetings delivered regularly at the Emigration Museum. Information about specific lectures can be found on the website www.POLSKA1.pl and in the social media.

In the framework of the „Museum Without Exception 2017” there is also available a free workshop offer, designed for adults and children with intellectual and vision disabilities as well as for the deaf. They workshops will be held until the end of November. It is possible to arrange their dates individually.

The visit details may be arranged by phone or e-mail (a.posluszna@muzeumemigracji.pl or j.gojzewska@muzeumemigracji.pl) with the Emigration Museum Education Department. The project coordinators will help identify needs and propose a program of the visit. The date should be arranged individually for each group, together with the Museum employees.

This year’s edition of the project involves also cooperation with a Special Educational Centre no. 1 in Gdynia. Its pupils and graduates will participate in a several months’ cycle of workshops. The final result of the workshops will be a family integration event to be held in November, 2017 at the Museum.

How you can use the services of a guide and an interpreter?

The workshops and permanent exhibition tours should be booked in advance (at least 5 working days). Participation in sign language interpreted meetings needs to be booked minimum 3 working days before the meeting.

From Tuesday to Sunday, the Museum offers guided tours and educational workshops for the

-blind and near-blind

-deafblind

-deaf

– people with intellectual disabilities.

Both organised groups and individuals are welcome to make reservations for guided tours and sign language interpreted meetings. The workshops can be attended by organised groups, families and groups of friends accompanying a person with a disability, who would like to spend time in the Museum together.

Anna Posłuszna

phone +48 58 670 41 89

a.posluszna@muzeumemigracji.pl

Joanna Gojżewska

phone +48 58 670 41 60

j.gojzewska@muzeumemigracji.pl

The services are available until 30th November thanks to the project „Museum Without Exception 2017”, for which the Museum received funding from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage within the framework of the programme „Accessible Culture”. The project partners are The Deaf and Blind Aid Society, The Centre of Integration and Special Educational Centre no. 1 in Gdynia.