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Film: Making Museums accessible with a telepresence robot

Two years ago a museum robot was implemented to the programme by Marleen Hartjes to enable a visit for people who cannot attend the museum in person.

The underlying motive of the Special Guests programme is not an emphasis on practicalities alone e.g. making the building wheelchair accessible; it is the drive to facilitate empowerment and autonomy for anybody that we welcome in the museum.

It is a broadening of perspective and a diversion of social isolation. It changed not only how we mediate our exhibitions and welcome our visitors, it changes the museum itself in the way we are telling multi-layered inclusive stories together with a diverse audience.

Marleen Hartjes
Coordinator Special Guests
Van Abbemuseum

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