Hi, my name is Shailesh and I am from Mangalore.

I am person with visual disability and I completed my 12th standard and I have around 9+ years of work experience working for NGOs and corporate sector.

Currently I work as a inclusion manager at Museum of Art and Photography.

So, at Museum of Art and Photography we believe in ‘art is for everyone’ thinking um that in mind, so we have created accessible and inclusive environment for everyone.

So uh first accessibility feature is um ramp entry to the building for people whoever using a wheelchair, so they can use ramp entry and they can uh enter into the building.

So we do have a reserved parking area for people with uh disabilities or senior citizen who want to park their vehicles um so we have a space of um, you know, we can park one car uh at a time.

So this facility you have to take it by sending an email to us, there is a email id called [email protected], you have to send the request and we will block it for you.

We do have a manual wheelchair available at uh near to the uh reception desk, so you can um utilize that manual wheelchair as well um if you required to use during your tour time.

And we do have a accessible um um sign language video, ISL video, uh to welcome deaf visitors to the museum and explain what is there in the museum.

And our uh lift is well spacious, um easily at least two to three wheelchair can fit in at a time and uh which is very ha…accessible and we do have a key panels horizontally uh so that people who are on a wheelchair can access the key panels easily.

We do have a audio announcement in the lift whenever lift reaches to the particular floor, it, it announce it, also when door opens or close it, it also announce it and for each floor the lift arrives it will give the sound so that people can understand that lift had arrived.

And uh key panel has Brai…Brai…Braille labels so that people can um operate touching the Braille panels.

And the staircase um also has warning uh flooring, so people whoever using a cane or people who are people with visual disability can uh differentiate the flooring and understand there will be a staircase.

And even the staircase has uh uh railings in two different levels.

People can use that railings as per uh their comfortability.

And, around the building, we do have a signages in Braille and large um uh size uh format so people to uh read it clearly and very understandably.

And we do have a accessible and all gender washroom in first floor, so people can use that.

As well as we do have a baby changing table inside the washroom uh for um people to uh you know change the diaper or dress of their baby.

First floor um auditorium also has uh induction loop, also called it as hearing loop for people who are using hearing aid with the T Coil switch.

Um the audio quality of the um, you know, whatever speaker is speaking on the mic will come into their ear and the people whoever using the hearing aid can hear the speaker clearly.

And um at our auditorium, the first row is removable to accommodate uh wheelchair users and uh wheelchair can go onto the stage with the ramp um, you know, the facility of ramp.

And uh um coming to um roof terrace, we do have a quiet room, so for people who are sensory overload or breastfeeding mothers or people with mental health concern, they can use the quiet room for their um uh personal time, basically to overcome from their sensory overload.

And um so our galleries designed in a such a way that uh anyone, even people who are on a wheelchair can um uh view the artworks um um in accessible way.

The artwork’s placed in a such a way that it is suitable for all the people and with all statures.

And uh uh we have enough space inside the gallery to move around independently.

Um we do have a digital guide called Bloomberg Connects app.

It’s a guide app for our Museum.

To download Bloomberg Connects App, use this QR code and download using Play store or Apple store.

Once you have downloaded the Bloomberg App, go to search, type in
M A P, MAP, and there’ll be a guide appearing in front of you, click on that, start our guide, there’ll be a series of sections that talks about what MAP is.

Under it, you can also find out about MAP, about exhibitions, about our collections, about our other projects, about our social media and other related projects that we do at MAP.

Once you’re in a gallery space, uh you will find a lot of labels that are placed next to individual artwork.

On the label, you’ll find a number written on it um which is called Lookup number.

You enter this Lookup number on the digital guide on Bloomberg Connects app and read more about the artwork.

We have narrated the audio guide in such a way that people can navigate the exhibition without seeing um by listening to the audio guide.

Um this app has uh ISL videos which talk about uh different artworks in ISL, Indian Sign Language.

In fourth floor um at our permanent exhibition “Visible and Invisible”, we have six tactile interpretation of the artwork, where people can touch and understand the artwork by touching sense.

So, um all our events, any kind of events, public events we do at MAP, um Museum of Art and Photography, will have ISL interpreters mandatory, um um, so uh people who are deaf can access the event very easily.

And uh we also have planned different HR related programs, so we have designed special internship program only for people with disabilities to encourage them to work in the museum space.

Um, so we have deaf candidate who joined as a uh intern and now he is an permanent employee.

Our website, we are also working with a digital auditing of so…of the website, it is in the process.

Um soon our website will also be very much accessible.

Uh at a physical space, we do have evacuation chairs available um at all the floors.

For people who have mobility challenge to evacuate quickly through the staircase, can use evacuation chair to uh evacuate during the emergency situations.

So, these are all the few accessibility features at Museum of Art and Photography.

I welcome you people to come and experience our Museum and uh give your valuable feedback.

So accessibility is, accessibility and inclusion is uh daily learning uh things like, you know, it never ends, so we are also learning, we are also taking baby steps towards the accessibility and inclusion things, so if you have any feedback please free to give it to us.

We are happy to incorporate those, whenever it is possible.

Thank you so much.