We are pleased to invite higher education staff from Türkiye, Greece, and the Balkans, representatives of cultural heritage institutions, and associations of people with disabilities to join us for an online presentation of the iNCLUSION project and its research findings on 30 October 2025, on 12:30 – 15:00 CET.
📅 Registration is mandatory. Please 👉 Register here
The event will provide an opportunity to learn about the project objectives, learn about the findings of the research about key takeaways about skills needs for accessibility, what heritage professionals can supply on one side, and demands of the disabled individuals on the other side. A Comparative Perspective has been produced for Türkiye, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and North Macedonia. The event is an opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions on accessibility in heritage and tourism and to learn about the forthcoming academic conference on iNCLUSION.
Want to know more about the speakers? Read their short bios HERE.
If you have missed the event, you can watch the recording on the YouTube chanel of iNCLUSION project.
Download the report HERE.
The event opened with an overview by Dr. Kevser Çınar, who presented the aims and work packages of the iNCLUSION project, coordinated by TÜBA. The initiative develops a Skills Blueprint for managing audiences with disabilities, creates pedagogical tools for higher education, reshapes digital cultural supply, and disseminates results across professional networks—advancing the EU Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021–2030. Download the presentation.
Dr. Tezcan Çavuşoğlu shared findings from a large Turkish mixed-methods study involving 112 participants. Key barriers included inadequate physical access, limited staff training, insufficient sensory adaptations, and low awareness of cultural rights. Yet participants emphasised the positive impact of inclusive content on reducing stigma and strengthening social acceptance. Download the presentation.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mürsel Doğrul presented additional Turkish results from more than 100 stakeholders in museums and tourism. Barriers included inaccessible historic buildings, limited communication tools, and low familiarity with inclusive practices. He highlighted the need for both technical and soft skills, emphasising that accessibility also requires organisational change and continuous training. Download the presentation.
From Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia, Aida Šarac Berbić reported gaps in training, low prior experience with disabled visitors, and strong recognition of skills such as assistive technologies, interpretation adjustment, crisis management, and cooperation with caregivers. Encouragingly, cultural workers expressed willingness for continuous learning. Download the presentation. Download the presentation.
Dr. Irena Ruzin presented lived experiences of 79 respondents, revealing cross-cutting issues: physical and informational inaccessibility, limited staff capacity, stereotypical attitudes, and weak institutional cooperation. Positive examples, such as the Museum Toše Proeski and “Blue Artism,” show progress is possible with aligned strategies and resources. Download the presentation. Download the presentation.
Finally, Dr. Dorothea Papathanasiou highlighted the role of digital storytelling and accessible design—strongly supported by respondents, who rated digital tools such as audio descriptions and screen readers as highly important. Dr. Dorothea Papathanasiou discussed two videos:
29 Noble Men:
https://vimeo.com/1135307917?fl=pl&fe=sh
Shining Cubes:
https://vimeo.com/1135323202
“iNCLUSION-Upskilling HED Students to Create Transformative Cultural Experiences for Audiences with Disabilities” project is funded by the EU through Erasmus programme.
