Stuart Murray, president and CEO of the CMHR, announces a bold approach to inclusive design on Tuesday, January 29, 2013. (HANDOUT)
When the Canadian Museum for Human Rights opens in 2014, it will be physically accessible to every visitor.
The museum on Tuesday outlined its inclusive design after consultations with the disability community to ensure those with limited mobility can access all areas of the facility.
“In our Museum, disability will not be treated as a special condition, but as an ordinary part of life that affects us all,” CMHR president and CEO Stuart Murray said.
The CMHR says it will surpass guidelines set out by the Smithsonian for accessible design, and will meet or exceed the most stringent criteria under the National Building Code and Web-based accessibility standards.
Some of the inclusive features include a tactile keyboard, wall and floor for the visually impaired, and positioning of text panels and other visual elements that consider distance and angles for people with low vision lines, such as those in wheelchairs. The museum will also consider people with intellectual disabilities, children, the elderly, those with language barriers, and the mentally ill.
The museum will share its accessibility design with members of the disability community tonight.
