USING TECHNOLOGY TO CREATE INCLUSIVE NATURAL HISTORY TOURS AND ACTIVITIES AT THE RUTGERS GEOLOGY MUSEUM

Museums exist as a way to share something special with their visitors, and much time and dedication is spent making sure that the space and exhibits are accessible to all. In many museums and science centers, accessible content such as audio tours and braille text on displays are commonplace, but additional adaptations that engage multiple senses are not as common. Many museums have long utilized 3D printing technology to create reproductions of display items that can be independently manipulated by visitors during self-guided trips or in addition to guided, specially-designed, descriptive tours. While not exclusively used in big museums and institutions, many of these programs only exist at larger establishments where there is ample staff and resources to implement such programs. With recent advances in photogrammetry, 360° photography, and 3D printing, the opportunity exists to implement programming of this nature in a variety of smaller, informal and formal educational settings.

Here we present new programming at the Rutgers University Geology Museum (RUGM) that was designed to increase the accessibility of our educational programming by creating multi-sensory engaging content. A new virtual and in-person museum tour is in development which utilizes audio tours, 360° video of the Museum space, 3D models of popular exhibits, 3D printing technology, and descriptive text in a way that will provide a unique tour experience for all visitors. This content was created through a partnership between the Rutgers University Makerspace, the Office of Disability, and the Department of Engineering and History. By utilizing published and currently used best practices for inclusive design and teaching, along with recent advances in technology, we are developing a program that can be implemented with minimal staff and resources. Methodologies can easily be adapted for the formal K-16 classroom and all materials are available upon request.