Showing that culture for all means well-being for all
In an inclusive European society, people with disabilities have access to culture. Recognising the importance of embedding accessibility in culture, the EU-funded DANCING project has been investigating the intersection of cultural participation of persons with disabilities and cultural diversity in the EU. The project’s efforts since its launch in 2020 have included a productive collaboration with the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto in Italy and the iNEST project funded under the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility. This partnership resulted in a seminar on accessibility as a transformative force in contemporary culture, held at the Museum in October 2024 as part of the Event on Accessible and Inclusive Culture.
Interdisciplinarity is key
In a video encapsulating the seminar, Maria Della Lucia, professor in the Department of Economics and Management at the University of Trento and co-lead investigator of the iNEST project’s culture cluster, explains how the complexity of accessibility and inclusion makes it necessary to blend different competencies. A variety of disciplinary perspectives – law, environmental management, art, museums management – are needed, as is direct contact with entrepreneurs, associations and organisations dealing with accessibility and inclusion on a daily basis. Fergus Ryan, Head of the School of Law and Criminology at DANCING project coordinator Maynooth University in Ireland, remarks in a news item posted on the university’s website: “This video showcases an interdisciplinary approach to research and an important collaboration with other institutions. As a School, we are constantly expanding our collaborative network, by building connections with universities in Ireland and abroad, civil society groups, cultural institutions and legal professionals. Thus, this video wonderfully displays the ethos and mission of the School and of Maynooth University at large.” At the seminar, DANCING’s lead investigator Delia Ferri, professor at Maynooth University’s School of Law and Criminology, presented research findings focusing on accessible culture as a human right. Commenting on the video, Ferri states: “Cultural participation of persons with disabilities is a vitally important topic. This video contributes to raise awareness on disability rights and on the need for accessibility and inclusivity to be fully embedded in cultural organisations.” Ferri has also co-authored a book with postdoctoral researcher Ann Leahy as part of the DANCING project. Titled ‘Dismantling Barriers and Advancing the Right of Persons with Disabilities to Participate in Cultural Life’, the book discusses Article 30 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and identifies barriers to cultural participation. The DANCING (Protecting the Right to Culture of Persons with Disabilities and Enhancing Cultural Diversity through European Union Law: Exploring New Paths) project has produced important findings showing that supporting the right to equal access to culture for people with disabilities can ensure well-being for all European society. The project ends in August 2025. For more information, please see: DANCING project website
Keywords
DANCING, disability, culture, accessibility, inclusion, well-being
