ABSTRACT
The conceptual shift, from access to inclusion, is key to the development of the cultural heritage sector in the 21st century. However, not all cities and countries of the world have an accessible environment in which sociocultural programmes can be developed. This chapter explores how inclusive practices can be developed in a museum environment that is still working towards making the building physically accessible. With the sociocultural context in Russia as a backdrop, we consider the work carried out by the Accessible Museum Program, founded in the Pushkin Museum (Moscow, Russia) in 2016. In a historical context, the problems of ableist attitudes towards people with disabilities in Russia are considered, as well as the emergence of artistic practices that are aimed at overcoming stigma and recognising human rights. It considers the ways in which museums in Russia have been working as radical spaces, challenging and redefining societal norms around access and inclusion. They have become arguably the first spaces in Russian society where practices of inclusion were tried out, and where people of varying abilities could interact in a more equitable way. Crucially, inclusion has been considered hand-in-hand with representation, and examples of inclusive exhibitions and projects are discussed.
