Hax McCullough on the ramp that connects the
Museums of Natural History and Art.
Keystone of Accessibility
Carnegie Museums
Receives Governor’s Award for Providing Access to People with Disabilities
Local
historian and author Hax McCullough and his wife Jean enter Carnegie Museums’
Oakland facility at Carriage Drive and consider their options. Shall
they start at the Museum of Natural History, or go to the Museum of Art
and work their way back? It doesn’t matter where Hax and Jean choose
to go first, because a ramp in the main corridor connects the two Oakland
museums, enabling Hax, who uses a wheelchair, to access all galleries and
exhibit spaces in the conjoined museums.
He
says, “We no longer need to be shuttled through back doors or underground
passageways. It’s a delight to be able to use the same routes as
everybody else to see the museums.”
For
the ramp and other improvements made over the past several years to its
100-year-old Oakland facility, Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh has received
a Keystone of Accessibility Award from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Council on the Arts. One of 12 arts organizations, and the only one
in the western part of the state, to receive an award, Carnegie Museums
of Pittsburgh was cited for “innovatively providing access to the arts
for Pennsylvanians with disabilities.” Pennsylvania governor Tom
Ridge established the awards this year to mark the 10th anniversary
of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The
ramp and elevator are only the most visible of the many measures taken
to enhance accessibility at the Oakland facility. Other improvements
made were the addition of handrails; modifications to doors, drinking fountains,
and restrooms; and installation of assisted-listening devices and Braille
or tactile signs. In addition, training was instituted for all Carnegie
Museums of Pittsburgh staff members and docents in assisting people with
disabilities, older adults, and people with small children.
The
museums received $300,000 in capital funds over three years from Allegheny
Regional Asset District (ARAD) to make the improvements. “ARAD funding
has played a crucial role in enabling us to enhance the experience of visitors
to the Oakland facility,” says Ellsworth Brown, president of Carnegie Museums.
The
culmination of these efforts is the Keystone of Accessibility Award.
Joan Stein, president and CEO of the museums’ consulting firm Accessibility
Development Associates, who nominated the museums for the award, says,
“Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh certainly is an example of best practices
in making the arts accessible to people of all ages and abilities.”
