Museum accessibility. A managerial perspective on digital approach

Accessibility to museums is one of the cornerstones of a modern museum enhancement, a feature highlighted by many policy makers, which also translates as a greater openness to different museum audiences. Among these public, the one represented by vulnerable people is linked to a precise management, based mainly on the removal and overcoming of physical and sensory barriers and on the use of the experience related to the works. In the museum field, the pandemic has accelerated the processes of digitization, leading many companies to develop strategies and practices to make their heritage accessible also at the digital level. The present study aims to investigate the different types of services offered by museum institutions for vulnerable audiences and how technologies can improve their visiting experience. This work emphasizes that this greater accessibility to museums linked to digital, is not limited only to a process of reproduction of works or places but increases the experience of the visit with additional information that is integrated with the basic experience, enabling the user to active value co-creation processes regarding the visit experience. A qualitative data analysis was carried out by using a multiple case study, analyzing top museums to understand which are the main digital strategies to improve accessibility to the most fragile public and what impact these strategies can have on management: to do this, a logic of repetition, in order to highlight the differences and similarities. These findings contribute to a better understanding of accessibility in cultural institutions and a series of managerial implications are proposed.