Director of Cultural Development at Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities Rasha Mohamed revealed that the ministry is developing programs for people with special needs to provide translations of informational materials and to improve accessibility in the nation’s museums.
During a Skype interview on satellite channel Extra News, Mohamed added that the ministry developed a plan for people with special needs covering all museums.
The film displayed at Baron Empain Palace about the history of the palace, for example, was translated into sign language so that deaf people and the hearing impaired can understand it.
She pointed out that training programs are held for all workers in the educational section for people with special needs.
Copies of mummies and relics have been made for use in museums, such as the Royal Chariots Museum, for children and visitors with special needs to identify them, she added.
The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has renovated five museums in order to better accommodate visitors with special needs, as part of a plan by the General Administration of Museum Education for People with Special Needs.
According to General Supervisor of Museum Education for People with Special Needs Tahany Noah, renovations are currently being carried out at the Royal Chariots Museum, which is nearing completion and will soon be open, Noah explained.
She added that work is also nearing completion at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square, the Greco-Roman Museum, the Kafr El-Sheikh Museum, and the Antony Museum in Minya.
Projects include paving roads and ramps at museums for wheelchair users, developing restrooms to accommodate men and women with special needs, and installing signs to help people with hearing and movement issues.
