Graduation Year
2024
Document Type
Capstone Project
Project Type
Project
Degree Name
Master of Science in Occupational Therapy
Program
Occupational Therapy
Program Chair
Gina Tucker-Roghi
Faculty Advisor
Caroline Umeda, PhD, OTR/L
Abstract
Many community cultural arts organizations, such as theaters and museums, are making intentional efforts to maximize accessibility for patrons and visitors with diverse abilities and needs. Occupational therapy (OT) consultants have collaborated with community organizations to promote greater levels of inclusion and participation within community spaces through modification of policies (Umeda et al., 2017), the physical environment (Clement et al., 2022; Ideishi et al., 2010), and staff training and implementation (Fletcher et al., 2018a; Silverman & Tyszka, 2017). The purpose of our project is to provide OT consultation to support the ongoing diversity and inclusion efforts at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. Prior to our project, accessibility resources at the science museum included sensory kits, a sensory map, and other resources on their website. While these supports benefit people with diverse sensory needs and abilities, museum staff identified specific ways to advance their diversity efforts within the museum. Aligned with the Academy’s accessibility priorities, we collaborated on two projects. Project 1 aimed to support the Academy’s Hohfeld Hall space through the implementation of resources, including a storybook and visual guide for use during astronomy shows. Within Project 1, the visual guide was found to be a facilitator of engagement, however more training is needed to ensure that presenters are using it uniformly. Project 2 involved creating and facilitating a sensory processing training workshop for the docents, which include an overview of sensory processing, neurodiversity, and how to support participation and interaction with diverse museum visitors. Within Project 2, docents reported a better understanding of sensory processing, new sense of empathy for neurodivergent individuals, and strategies to implement at their stations to engage all museum visitors. Both initiatives were designed to enhance accessibility within the museum.