Thesis
Increasing accessibility through seating: a study of five art museums
Master of Science (M.S.), Drexel University
Dec 2024
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00010826
Abstract
Seating is an issue of accessibility. While several museum accessibility guides advocate for more seating to be provided in museums, and advocate for standardized seating dimensions, there is a lack of publicly available research on how museums can and are using seating. I used research on public seating and museum accessibility guidelines to examine how five art museums in Philadelphia, PA, of various sizes use seating in their galleries: the Fabric Workshop and Museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania, the Woodmere Art Museum, and Philadelphia's Magic Gardens. I compared the dimensions, the seat placements, and the features of different types of seats. While the differences in architecture and collections between museums make it difficult to offer one-size-fits-all guides to seating, I offer several recommendations for museums based on my research: First, that museums should increase the amount of seating in their galleries, both in frequency and in amount in each space. Second, museums must put the locations of permanent seating on museum maps. Third, museums should provide variety in their seating options, including variation in seat height, seats with and without backrests and armrests, and both standard and above-standard width single-person seating. Providing this variety means accommodating a wide range of visitor needs. For example, people with back and neck pain may need seating with back support. While some older adults may need armrests to help stand up again, others with larger bodies may not fit into a seat with armrests. In sum, my recommendations offer the potential of increasing museum accessibility.
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Details
- Title
- Increasing accessibility through seating
- Creators
- Sarah Kristine Lennox
- Contributors
- Pamela Yau (Advisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Master of Science (M.S.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- ix, 76 pages
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Arts Administration; Arts and Entertainment Enterprise; Drexel University; Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design
- Other Identifier
- 991022019119504721