Department of Economics and Management, University of Brescia.
Department of Law, University of Brescia.
Stud Health Technol Inform. 2022 Sep 2;297:491-498. doi: 10.3233/SHTI220878.
United Nations' Agenda 2030 highlights the need to "make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable" (SDG 11) and reduce inequalities (SDG 10) for the good health and well-being (SDG 3) of the citizens. Although most Italian museums have been forced to comply with the rules for accessibility in public spaces since 1971 following Law 30/3/1971 n. 118 and, more recently, Legislative Decree 81/2008, in this context, Universal Design can contribute to the achievement of these goals by improving accessibility to spaces, services, and the community's well-being on the one hand, along with providing a deeper comprehension and awareness of the informational processes on the other hand. In this regard, museum organizations play a critical role in enhancing the quality of life and society's education by preserving and distributing cultural heritage over time. Despite the large number of studies focused on museum organizations, there is little research that takes into account Universal Design and its macro-and firm-level economic benefits on museum institutions (not-for-profit, public, and private). Considering this research gap, this study's aim is twofold: 1) to explore how some Italian museums have actually improved their facilities and services according to Universal Design principles and 2) to assess the economic museum accessibility. A qualitative methodology was applied using a questionnaire delivered to eight Italian museum, and collected data was compared. The findings underline how museums' investments in Universal Design may produce relevant economic benefits, both on the macroeconomic and firm levels, providing guidelines for public policies concerning welfare, transport, environment, education, and well-being. Universal Design principles can lead museums to an increasing convergence toward Sustainable Development Goals, improving their overall economic performance as well as strengthening their role in a more aware and participative society. This study has several relevant implications in terms of both policy and management. Policymakers should promote Universal Design investments in museums in order to ensure accessibility to a greater number of visitors, and cultural institutions should consider accessibility as a specific key management dimension to be monitored and improved.
联合国 2030 议程强调需要“使城市和人类住区具有包容性、安全、有复原力和可持续性”（可持续发展目标 11），并减少不平等（可持续发展目标 10），以促进公民的良好健康和福祉（可持续发展目标 3）。尽管自 1971 年 3 月 11 日第 30/3/1971 号法律以来，大多数意大利博物馆都必须遵守公共空间无障碍规则，而且最近 2008 年 81 号立法令也有规定，但在这种情况下，通用设计可以通过改善空间、服务的可达性和社区的福祉来促进这些目标的实现，同时另一方面，提供对信息过程的更深入理解和认识。在这方面，博物馆组织通过随着时间的推移保存和传播文化遗产，在提高生活质量和社会教育方面发挥着关键作用。尽管有大量研究集中在博物馆组织，但很少有研究考虑通用设计及其对博物馆机构（非营利、公共和私营）的宏观和公司层面的经济效益。考虑到这一研究差距，本研究的目的有两个：1）探讨一些意大利博物馆如何根据通用设计原则实际改善其设施和服务，2）评估博物馆的经济可达性。采用了定性方法，向八家意大利博物馆发放了问卷，并对收集到的数据进行了比较。研究结果强调了博物馆在通用设计方面的投资如何可能产生相关的经济效益，无论是在宏观经济还是公司层面，为福利、交通、环境、教育和福祉等公共政策提供了指导。通用设计原则可以使博物馆朝着可持续发展目标的方向不断发展，提高其整体经济绩效，同时加强其在更加自觉和参与的社会中的作用。本研究在政策和管理方面都有几个相关的启示。政策制定者应该促进博物馆对通用设计的投资，以确保更多游客的可访问性，文化机构应该将可访问性视为需要监控和改进的特定关键管理维度。
