Abstract

Individuals with mobility limitations are limited to utilizing facilities that provide mobility adaptations, such as: elevators/lifts, automatic/easy to open doors, ramps, sufficient maneuverable space, benches, etc. To address this equity need in Europe, the European Committee for Standardization published and implemented the European Standard for accessibility and usability of the built environment (EN 17210) in 2021 which outlines accessibility features that all European Union (EU) countries are recommended to follow. The goal of this research is to investigate how the European Standard regulates the EU infrastructure and analyze its impact on infrastructures for those with mobility impairments. This project presents a comparative analysis of mobility access for visitors with limited mobility at four of Europe’s most prominent art museums: the Prado (Madrid), the Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam), the Louvre (Paris), and the Vatican Museums (Rome). All are subject to the accessibility criteria from the European Standard. Although housed in historic buildings not originally designed with accessibility in mind, each museum has, in recent decades, become a prominent cultural leader in its respective country by advancing innovative and creative approaches to mobility access. Investigative visits to each of the museums reveal not only the unique challenges faced by the curators at each site, but also the effectiveness of the museums to provide efficient mobility access to large numbers of visitors with disabilities who seek to experience their collections and cultural treasures each year.

Semester/Year of Award

Spring 5-3-2026

Mentor

Karen Puckett

Mentor Department Affiliation

Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy

Access Options

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Honors Scholars

Degree Level

Bachelors

Department

Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy

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