The project is funded within the framework of the Riga City Public Inclusion Programme.

In March 2025, the Development Vector project was officially confirmed to introduce modern inclusive practices for blind visitors in Riga's museums. Within the framework of the project, from May to October, face-to-face and online courses are planned for museum staff who want to master the methods of creating an accessible environment and improve the quality of service for blind visitors.

The main areas of training are as follows

1.  Audio descriptions and brief commentaries

·         Principles of composing audio descriptions for museum exhibits and exhibition halls.

·         Peculiarities of creating concise, informative comments understandable to visually impaired and blind visitors.

2. tactile models

·         Development and practical use of tactile materials.

·         Discussion of requirements to the quality and accessibility of such models.

3. etiquette and specifics of communication

·         Basic rules of etiquette in communication with blind people.

·         Skills of correct selection of language constructions to exclude discriminatory expressions.

·         Organisation of excursions taking into account the needs of visually impaired visitors.

4. Practical training

·         Working in small groups under the guidance of experienced specialists.

·         Creation and testing of audio materials in real conditions.

·         Evaluating the comprehensibility of recordings and correcting speech wording.

·         Developing tour scripts with accessibility in mind.

The project is aimed at the long-term development of a barrier-free environment in the capital's museums and at strengthening Riga's reputation as a city orientated towards the values of a democratic society. In addition, the Development Vector is intended to strengthen professional ties and co-operation between Riga's museums.

Conditions for participation in the project

Participants will be selected on a competitive basis. Museum staff wishing to participate in the programme should send a motivation letter to info@socintegra.lv.

We hope that this project will be an important step in creating a unified and accessible museum environment where every visitor feels comfortable and gets full access to cultural heritage.