Accessibility in cultural spaces in the city of Porto

Abstract

With the title The Imagination of a Visit? Comparative Case study on accessibility conditions in museums in the city of Porto, this work is based on cultural accessibility. This communication is developed within master´s thesis in Heritage, Arts and Cultural Tourism, at the Higher School of Education of the Polytechnic Institute of Porto.

Accessibility is the basis for equal opportunities.

In this sense, this study seeks not only to reflect on the concept of accessibility and inclusion, but also to analyze the conditions of access to facilities and contents. For this, four museums in the city of Porto were selected – the Soares dos Reis National Museum, Misericórdia do Porto Museum and Church, the Porto Customs Museum of Transport and Communications and the Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art. The methodologies used for this investigation were bibliographical and documentary research, participation in sessions produced by Acesso Cultura, visits to museological spaces, informal conversations, field notes, photographic records and questionnaire surveys. From this study, it isconcluded that the institutions have knowledge on the subject and recognize their needs. However, they have difficulty debating it.