Quick thought: accessibility and angles

On Sunday I went to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum out at Dulles with my parents, a friend, and the friend’s two sons aged almost-5 and just-6. Due to recent knee problems, my dad opted to use a wheelchair for the day.  As a result, his eye level was roughly equal with the boys’. Dad ended up noticing signatures inside the wheel well of one plane, and other details that were blocked at the angle of a standing adult.

It occurred to me that it would be a good exercise for curators and exhibit designers to go through their exhibits in a wheelchair (or at least a rolling desk chair at its lowest height). This would allow them to see the space from the perspective of children and persons in wheelchairs, and might lead to some rethinking and redesigning. It might even be a chance to put ‘easter eggs’ at kids-eye-level!

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