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The CMHR is hosting a meeting tonight with members of the disability community to explain its inclusive design approach and Museum content related to disability rights.

Examples of the Museum's approach to inclusive design and accessibility can be found in the attached backgrounder.

Currently under construction in Winnipeg, the CMHR is the first museum solely dedicated to the evolution, celebration and future of human rights in Canada. It is the first national museum to be established since 1967 and the first outside the National Capital Region.

Find our more at www.museumforhumanrights.ca, follow us on Twitter at @cmhr_news or like our Facebook page.

Backgrounder

Examples of the CMHR approach to inclusive design include:

--  A unique tactile keyboard, conceived by the Museum and vetted by the    Inclusive Design Research Centre at OCAD. Incorporated into touchscreen    installations, it will enable visually impaired and mobility restricted    visitors to navigate digital exhibit information and access inclusive    functions without needing to seek assistance.--  Software interfaces designed and developed to go beyond best practices    in areas like colour contrast, reach, visual and functional hierarchy    (for ease of digital navigation and comprehension) and other usability    aspects.--  Tactile wall and floor elements to indicate the location and orientation    of various exhibits and assist in wayfinding.--  Film and video that includes open captioning, descriptive video (audio    track), American Sign Language (ASL) and Langue des signes quebecoise    (LSQ).--  Positioning of text panels and other visual elements that consider    distance and angles for people with low vision lines, such as those in    wheelchairs.--  Exhibit tactile markers that provide information about accessibility    options for exhibits and gallery zones using clear, raised type and    graphic icons, and Braille.--  High contrast visual elements and text to accommodate low-vision    visitors, with consideration to other visual disabilities such as colour    blindness or dyslexia.--  Mobile and digital media that incorporate elements like closed and open    captioning, described video, ASL, and LSQ. The Museum is also    investigating Near Field Communication technology which would prompt    visitors when (via proximity) to access descriptions and supplemental    interpretation on mobile devices.--  Staff training that ensures interpretive programming and visitor    interactions are inclusive and mindful of a full range of accessibility    needs.--  Graphic standards that meet or surpass Smithsonian guidelines for text    organization and visual presentations that consider features such as    easily legible typeface, font size, weight, contrast and proportion.--  Physical design and wayfinding techniques such as accessible ramp    elevation, doorway clearances, and mobility issues - especially    important given the Museum's complex architecture.--  Consideration of the needs of people with intellectual disabilities,    children, the elderly, those with language barriers, and the mentally    ill.