On the 4th and 5th of November all partners of the ACCESS4ALL project coming from 6 countries (Greece, Italy, Austria, Spain, Cyprus and France), met for the first time in Vienna, Austria in order to attend the 2nd Transnational Project Meeting. During the meeting the consortium had the chance to discuss the progress of the project implementation and delivery of project outcomes and dissemination activities. The agenda was enriched with important visits and invited speakers introducing good practices of inclusive practices and initiatives taking place in Vienna. In particular, on the first day ACCESS4ALL partners’ representatives visited the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Art History Museum) for a specialized tour led by Mrs. Krall, focusing on services designed for people with disabilities and in more particular for people with visual impairment in order to gain cultural experiences.
The Museum offers tactual material and installations in order for people with visual impairment to have the chance to get familiarized with specific artworks located at the Museum including also a book developed by Mrs Krall with braille description and tactile details for paintings. Mrs. Krall’s successful tours for people with visual impairment were designed in collaboration with a blind person who led her through the museum and correcting in the meantime the type of describing language she used. In addition, through funded projects the Museum organizes painting workshops for people with disabilities providing them with knowledge about different colours, materials and painting techniques. Through this experience the partners were informed of successful practices that have already been implemented in Austria and have started to create a significant impact towards inclusion in cultural institutions and in extent to inclusive communities.
The next day after the final conclusion of the partners’ meeting, Martin Ladstätter presented his radio show and also spoke about the work he and his organization (BIZEPS) does within the Austrian community to combat discrimination and promote accessibility for all. In the afternoon, Veronika Egger presented the approach of inclusive information design used in Vienna, and she presented the organisation she founded called “Design for All” as a non-profit membership program organisation dedicated to promoting a Design for All approach in all aspects of development and design.
All these additions offered significant information to the project partners about good practices while they exchanged their own experiences from their countries with the speakers triggering a fruitful discussion.
