The ART&SIGNS project set out to enhance museum accessibility for Deaf visitors and can now report the successful achievement of its objectives: Educational Model: We've implemented a training program for museum staff, covering basic sign language skills and Deaf culture, to enable effective communication with Deaf visitors. The curriculum was enriched by the active participation of Deaf experts in the arts. Video-Dictionaries: A comprehensive collection of cultural and artistic signs was created in video dictionaries, available in multiple sign languages and International Sign, to facilitate Deaf inclusion across borders. E-Learning Platform: An e-learning platform was launched hosting these video dictionaries and OERs, allowing free access for museum workers and the Deaf community. It includes features for users to contribute new signs, ensuring its growth. The ART&SIGNS project has engaged museum professionals and the Deaf community as primary beneficiaries, with valuable involvement from Deaf trainers, artists, and stakeholders such as Deaf associations and accessibility organisations.
The ART&SIGNS project was developed to enhance museum services for Deaf visitors, as identified by the "MADE Museum and Art education for Deaf Empowerment" Erasmus+ KA2 project (2019-2021). The MADE project trained young Deaf individuals as museum guides but also revealed challenges such as limited sign language proficiency among museum staff and a lack of art-specific sign language vocabulary. ART&SIGNS aimed to address these issues by developing a multilingual platform with video dictionaries and educational materials for museum staff, creating resources to enhance sign language skills, and actively involving the Deaf community in identifying sector-specific signs for arts and culture. The project successfully implemented Pilot Training sessions for 96 museum professionals and created an extensive video dictionary with 630 signs from partner countries, showcased in 2,535 sign language videos. These resources support the continuous evolution of Sign Languages, the European Accessibility Act, and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, promoting inclusive rights to education and a more accessible cultural landscape for the Deaf community across Europe.