The article “Inclusive Museums: Addressing Neurodivergence in Cultural Spaces”, authored by Yassamin Kouraichi and Stephanie Petit, has been published in the International Journal of the Inclusive Museums.
The paper presents a small-scale pilot initiative focused on fostering inclusive cultural spaces by integrating neurodiversity into space design education and by raising awareness within cultural institutions. The initiative was developed through collaboration between a design and applied arts school, a cultural institution, special education counselors, and a biomedical start-up specializing in neurodevelopmental diagnostics.
The project proposes a multidisciplinary and participatory model for inclusive museum design. Activities included immersive workshops, collaborative design sprints, and public-facing events, such as virtual reality (VR) experiences designed to simulate sensory and cognitive challenges. The initiative also aimed to support professional development within cultural institutions and to encourage reflection on accessibility, spatial justice, and the cultural mediation of neurodiversity.
As part of the project’s dissemination, Yassamin Kouraichi represented Dowel Innovation at the Inclusive Museums Conference held in September 2025 in Zaragoza, where the methodology and preliminary outcomes were presented to museum curators, students, museum professionals, and academics.
The research was funded by the European Commission under the InteractionSeeds project.
🔗 Preprint available on Zenodo: https://lnkd.in/ejrrHbtM
🔗 Published article: https://lnkd.in/e9A68yk4
