What would an ideal museum visit be like? The Museum for All seminar explores accessibility and inclusivity

– Museums and exhibitions are among the finest cultural services a city can offer. Everyone should have the opportunity to engage with art and culture and find museums and exhibitions appealing, regardless of any barrier or characteristic that might affect their participation, says Mikko Ala-Kapee, Non-discrimination Coordinator for the City of Tampere.

A successful museum experience is possible when the environment is as free from physical and sensory barriers as possible. A well-designed exhibition space and museum strives to accommodate people with diverse challenges related to mobility, vision, hearing, comprehension and perception.

– Other factors also influence the museum experience. These include a sense of social safety, admission fees, cultural background, non-binary gender identity, and misconceptions about museums and who they are for, says Ala-Kapee.

Aiming for accessibility and sensitivity

On Thursday 27 November 2025 from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., the Tampere Disability Council will host the seminar Museum for All: What kind of museum draws people in to seek meaningful experiences? The event will be in the Lehmus Hall at the Metso Main Library (Pirkankatu 2, Tampere). 

The event will feature talks exploring museums and exhibitions from the perspectives of accessibility and sensitivity.

The seminar is open to all interested in the topic. You can attend in person or follow the event remotely. Presentations are in Finnish, and they will be interpreted into Finnish Sign Language.

Register by 25 November 2025 (in Finnish): Sign up for the Museum for All seminar.

The seminar will follow the City of Tampere’s safer space principles.

Museum for All seminar programme

The event begins with coffee service from 2:30 p.m. The official programme starts at  2:50 p.m.

Hosts are Katja Metsävainio, Chair of the Tampere Disability Council, and Eero Herranen, Member of the Disability Council.

•    Opening remarks and safer space principles / Hosts Katja Metsävainio and Eero Herranen
•    The New Tampere Art Museum – Designing an accessible museum for the future / Architect Arto Ollila, AOR Architects Ltd
•    What accessibility information should be available on museum websites? / Museum educator Viliina Julkunen, Tampere Art Museum
•    If only museums allowed sensory-accessible touching / Organisation coordinator Milla Lindh, Finnish Deafblind Association; Chair of Tampere Accessibility Working Group
•    What can general museums learn from the Finnish Museum of the Deaf? / Researcher Sirpa Varis, Finnish Labour Museum Werstas, Deaf Museum Collections
•    Break (10 minutes)
•    Easy-to-read guided tour sample from the Moomin Museum / Museum assistant Elina Linkopuu
•    Considering neurodiversity in cultural institutions, with examples from Cultural Centre Laikku and Children's Cultural Centre Rulla / Museum educator Mia Ylä-Nojonen, Tampere Urban Culture Unit
•    Recognising the queer perspective / Curator Johanna Kangas, Tampere Art Museum
•    What is meant by the whiteness of museums and what can be done about it? / Presenter to be announced
•    Family mornings, children's and seniors' days, and free admission hours at Tampere’s historical museums: Considering age and financial status in museum work / Museum educator Iita Ruissalo, Museum Centre Vapriikki
•    Closing remarks / Hosts

Programme subject to change.