The first round of Access Survey was conducted in 2018 in four member museums: The National Museum of Leskovac, NI Institute and Museum Bitola, Museum of Secret Surveillance: House of Leaves in Tirana and Museum of Vojvodina in Novi Sad. The pilot process was supported with the grant from the Headley Trust UK. We have learned much in the pilot year and would like to offer similar possibility to other member museums.
The Access Survey will provide your museum with information about the existing barriers for all groups of visitors (Deaf, disabled, children, elderly, family groups etc.) and give you ideas for the improvements.
You will acquire a useful tool for change that helps museum staff to increase their understanding of various physical, sensory, attitudinal, intellectual and cultural barriers, and to priorities decisions and actions that will improve access.
The process consists of 4 stages: (1) the application; (2) signing the agreement with the consultants; (3) hosting two members of Balkan Museum Access group in your museum and organizing meetings with staff and management members during their visit; (4) Agreeing with the consultants on the final text of the Access Survey Report (recommendations and prioritization are integral part of the report). All stages of the process are implemented in the consultation with the museum’s staff.
The museum needs to cover travel, accommodation, meal costs during the field visit of the access survey and the basic daily fee for two consultants for the field visit and report writing. BMAG consultants will not charge for the preparation time and the follow-up communication with the museum.
The rate for the access survey conducted by BMAG consultants is 60 EUR per day /per consultant (the number of days for the field visit and report writing depends on the size of the museums). Once your institution applies, we will be able to tell you how many days the site visit will need to be. Experts from BMAG are from the Balkan region thus travel costs will be minimized.
You agree with BMAG team when you would like them to do the fieldwork (visit to the museum and when the report will be finalized.
All museums interested to be conduct access survey should
- Write a statement of up to 500 words explaining how you will use the process and recommendations that will result from the access survey and how you will make this process part of your strategic planning.
The statement is integrated into the online application form available at https://goo.gl/forms/uskTf3SpRt665ab13
- Submit a letter of support from the museum’s Director that states (1) the willingness to conduct the survey; (2) availability to cover the experts’ costs; (3) willingness to enable BMAG consultants to carry out the field visit.
- Sign a contract with the BMAG consultants outlining the tasks of both parties and the time-frame of the tasks.
The call if open throughout the year and there is no deadline.
Write to info@bmuseums.net for all the questions you might have.