Encouraging the inclusion of visually impaired and blind people in a Museum of Zoology
Giacomo Guaraldi, Elena Corradini
To start an inclusion process, the Museum of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy of the Museum Complex of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia organized an innovative tactile tour on biodiversity in the Modena area dedicated to both able-bodied and visually impaired people. The use of real taxidermied animals for the development of the tour, which, under the guidance of a zoological mediator, saw the participation of numerous blind and partially sighted students, contributed to encouraging the development of their potential through haptic perception, the process of recognition of objects through touch, combining tactile perception derived from the exploration of the various hairy surfaces of the animals (the texture and roughness or softness of their fur is read by them) and proprioception, which derives from the position of one’s hand in relation to how each animal is examined.
Keywords
Post-secondary education, Experiences, Visual disability, Inclusion, Zoological museum, Biodiversity.
