March/April 2025 Preview
Centering Accessibility
Explore how museums are evolving to become more accessible and inclusive for all audiences—through thoughtful interpretation of history, programs that welcome all visitors, design that prioritizes inclusion, and language that breaks barriers.
Preview select articles from this issue of Museum below. Individual and Museum Tier 2, Tier 3, Ally, and Industry Members can access the full digital edition.
In this issue:
From the President
Serving the Whole Public
Read the perspectives of people who are impacted by accessibility work or who’ve dedicated their careers to it, in their own words. Reflecting on their work, AAM’s President and CEO Marilyn Jackson writes, “There are many dimensions to the practice, and therefore, many ways to pursue it, both big and small.” Harness the momentum from this issue to make it a reality in your work.
» Read the full column introducing this issue.
Reframing History
Feature | Free to Read
by Shelby E. Landmark
The Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site now has a disability-affirming interpretation of FDR’s life after polio.
What Is Lost and Found in Translation
Feature | 🔒 Member Login
by Antonio Díaz Oliva
Two years into his work, an editor at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago reflects on the institution’s bilingual transformation.
The Long Game
Feature | 🔒 Member Login
by Megan DiRienzo and Nicole Smith
The Detroit Institute of Arts’ journey to expand accessibility has been decades-long and is still ongoing.
Pushing the Boundaries
Feature | 🔒 Member Login
by Ben Jett
Solid Light and the American Printing House for the Blind aim to design the most inclusive museum in the world with The Dot Experience.
Growing a Popular Program
Feature | 🔒 Member Login
by Caroline Braden
With its sensory-friendly programming for teens and adults, The Henry Ford is meeting a community need.
We Can Do Better
Point of View | 🔒 Member Login
by Beth Redmond-Jones
Are museums really meeting the needs
of the neurodiverse community?
January/February 2025 issue
By the Numbers:
Museum Accessibility
56%
of frequent museum-going households could use additional physical, cognitive, or emotional support for a family member at museums.
29%
of US adults have some type of disability.
1 in 6
children have sensory processing disorders.
» Explore more numbers about accessibility from the Annual Survey of Museum-Goers in this Data Story.
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Coming Up:
May/June 2025 – Museums & Trust (our 2025 Annual Meeting theme)
July/August 2025 – Artificial Intelligence
September/October 2025 – Collections Stewardship, with pitches due April 28, 2025
November/December 2025 – Visitation, with pitches due July 1, 2025
» Explore the Editorial Calendar for potential topics under each theme.