TOGETHER OR SEPARATED? THE SEGREGATIVE AND INTEGRATIVE MODEL OF CULTURAL ACCESSIBILITY FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

Abstract

Culture takes an increasingly important position in the debate about the accessibility of public space for persons with disabilities. Many questions about how to include them in cultural life have emerged. The subject of the present article is a theoretical reflection on actions taken in this area by cultural institutions and non-governmental organizations. Basing on a comparative analysis of two events of such kind, and using the achievements of special pedagogy, I present two models of cultural accessibility for persons with disabilities: the separative and integrative model. I ponder on their advantages and disadvantages. I conclude by claiming that both can be useful in the process of making culture accessible for persons with disabilities, providing that the beneficiaries will be allowed to choose what kind of events they will attend. These considerations accord with the recently burgeoning field of accessibility studies, while disability studies serves as a broad theoretical frame.

Keywords

• integration
• segregation
• disability studies
• accessibility studies
• cultural accessibility
• models of cultural accessibility