The boise art museum will increase its ability to serve members of its community with disabilities

The Boise Art Museum will receive $385,409 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the Museums for America federal grant program (CFDA 45.301) to increase accessibility for deaf and hard-of-hearing community members from September 2022 through August 2024. Specifically, the museum will facilitate planning processes with consultants, community members, and American Sign Language interpreters to identify and test tools to make the museum more accessible, such as ASL video interpretation for artwork labels, interpretive panels, and audio guides. The museum will also engage local arts leaders in making arts experiences more inclusive and accessible to all audiences. The project activities respond to previously identified needs and directly support the mission and strategic goals of the Boise Art Museum to better serve its community.

With an emphasis on the deaf and hard of hearing community, the museum will facilitate a series of participatory planning processes with consultants, community members, and american sign language (ASL) interpreters to identify and test tools to make the museum more accessible. Project activities respond to needs that were previously identified by members of the community and include testing the use of ASL video interpretation for artwork labels, interpretive panels, and audio guides. The museum will engage local arts leaders in discussions about, and implementation of, ways to make arts experiences more inclusive and accessible to all audiences.