Jodi Awards shortlist announced
Rebecca Atkinson, 08.11.2011
M Shed shortlisted for work with the visually-impaired
Bristol Museums, Galleries and Archives has been shortlisted for the Jodi Awards for accessible digital culture for its audio access labels for visually-impaired visitors at M Shed.
The awards champion museums, galleries and heritage sites that use technology to widen access to collections, information, learning and creativity to disabled people.
M Shed uses PenFriend, an audio labelling device from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), to record and store sound files that are linked to coded labels of objects within the galleries.
It is the only museum to have made the shortlist this year. The other shortlisted projects are: Mencap Liverpool’s Touch Pods, which use recorded sound as part of a multisensory experience at the National Wildflower Centre in Liverpool; Inclusive Communication Essex, which supports people with learning disabilities through Essex County Council’s library service; and Reading Sight, a national collaborative project that enables readers with sight loss to access books.
Marcus Weisen, the director of the Jodi Mattes Trust for accessible digital culture, said the awards aim to promote best practice in an area at the margins of museum practice.
“Digital, social and mobile technologies are changing the way people interact with museums, galleries and heritage. An important challenge is to make sure that the current shifts in technology do not create new barriers for audiences with disabilities and are deployed to widen access to the museum experience,” he added.
“The Jodi Awards also raise awareness of the need for museums to embrace accessible and inclusive design principles, and to bring together available social, cultural and technical expertise to create a world of enticing cultural experiences, which are there for sharing.”
The awards will be presented at a reception at the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea, Wales, on 1 December. All the shortlisted projects will be given as case studies during the daytime seminar.
Click here for more details (link to Jodi Matters website)
The Jodi Awards were set up by the Museums Computer Group in 2002, with the first award announced at an RNIB conference in 2003. They were extended to Wales in 2006 and Scotland in 2008. The awards are given in memory of Jodi Mattes, a campaigner on accessibility issues.
The shortlist for the International Jodi Award has also been announced. Museus Acessíveis, a social company, promotes access to museums for disabled people in Brazil, and the Whitney Museum of American Art’s video blog that features deaf museum educators communicating in American Sign Language about contemporary art have been shortlisted
The International Jodi Award will be given on 8 December at the international DISH (Digital Strategies for Heritage) conference in Rotterdam.
PenFriend at M Shed was recently profiled for a Museum Practice on widening access for visually-impaired visitors.
Click here to read the issue and case study
The awards champion museums, galleries and heritage sites that use technology to widen access to collections, information, learning and creativity to disabled people.
M Shed uses PenFriend, an audio labelling device from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), to record and store sound files that are linked to coded labels of objects within the galleries.
It is the only museum to have made the shortlist this year. The other shortlisted projects are: Mencap Liverpool’s Touch Pods, which use recorded sound as part of a multisensory experience at the National Wildflower Centre in Liverpool; Inclusive Communication Essex, which supports people with learning disabilities through Essex County Council’s library service; and Reading Sight, a national collaborative project that enables readers with sight loss to access books.
Marcus Weisen, the director of the Jodi Mattes Trust for accessible digital culture, said the awards aim to promote best practice in an area at the margins of museum practice.
“Digital, social and mobile technologies are changing the way people interact with museums, galleries and heritage. An important challenge is to make sure that the current shifts in technology do not create new barriers for audiences with disabilities and are deployed to widen access to the museum experience,” he added.
“The Jodi Awards also raise awareness of the need for museums to embrace accessible and inclusive design principles, and to bring together available social, cultural and technical expertise to create a world of enticing cultural experiences, which are there for sharing.”
The awards will be presented at a reception at the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea, Wales, on 1 December. All the shortlisted projects will be given as case studies during the daytime seminar.
Click here for more details (link to Jodi Matters website)
The Jodi Awards were set up by the Museums Computer Group in 2002, with the first award announced at an RNIB conference in 2003. They were extended to Wales in 2006 and Scotland in 2008. The awards are given in memory of Jodi Mattes, a campaigner on accessibility issues.
The shortlist for the International Jodi Award has also been announced. Museus Acessíveis, a social company, promotes access to museums for disabled people in Brazil, and the Whitney Museum of American Art’s video blog that features deaf museum educators communicating in American Sign Language about contemporary art have been shortlisted
The International Jodi Award will be given on 8 December at the international DISH (Digital Strategies for Heritage) conference in Rotterdam.
PenFriend at M Shed was recently profiled for a Museum Practice on widening access for visually-impaired visitors.
Click here to read the issue and case study
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