HERITAGE AND ACCESSIBILITY: European Symposium, March 21-22, 2013

How can one make protected towns, monuments and sites in Europe accessible?

How can one work together accessibility and protection of heritage while dealing with statutory and architectural requirements? How can one break down the barriers to accessibility in historic monuments and cultural sites in Europe? How can one accept that sites or monuments inscribed on the World Heritage List, that are supposed to be universal and bring cultures together, can be still inaccessible to some categories of people? How can one facilitate an access to everything for all without threatening the heritage value of buildings and their environment? How are European countries working towards these goals that may seem contradictory at first sight?
These are the main questions that this conference will seek to answer.

Amiens cathedral, France. The entrance, the inside area and the reception desk of the Tourist Office have been designed to welcome physically disabled people.

In order for all of us to enjoy the city, it has become essential to find a balance between the ethical issue of equal opportunity, the acceptance of social diversity, the demand for accessibility and the duty of remembrance, of preserving and promoting heritage sites and landscapes. It is about finding a balance between the supporters of a restrictive protection of monuments and sites, and those in favour of a free access for all types of visitors, at the risk of altering this built heritage or participating in the artificialization of natural areas.
Upgrading the built frame is a necessary condition for disabled people to gain access to culture, knowledge and leisure. Adapting the offer to other kinds of audience is also essential.
The task is as much about creating tools of a cultural mediation that are adapted to all kinds of disabilities, as it is about raising awareness and training heritage stakeholders.
Feedback from European case studies will shed light on these topics to assert the values that we share regarding cultural identities and citizenship in order to design a more inclusive society.

More info: http://patrimoinesaccessibilite.wordpress.com/