Jul

Innovation and collaboration are hallmarks of first SAIF awards

The recipients of the inaugural Smithsonian Accessibility Innovations Fund (SAIF) Awards have been announced. The Smithsonian established SAIF to encourage creativity and innovation that would promote pan-Institutional accessibility. In response to the call for innovative design solutions to make museum content more accessible, 22 proposals were submitted. Several of them were collaborations among two or more Smithsonian organizations, reinforcing the Strategic Plan’s “One Smithsonian” approach.

The recipients of the 2018 SAIF Awards are:

Cooper-Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, Freer|Sackler Galleries, and Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden for a joint pilot project on SI-wide image description content production and trainings. (Project points of contact: Pamela Horn, CHSDM; Ryan King, F|S; and Jacob Kim, HMSG)

Freer|Sackler Galleries for the Cosmic Buddha interactive installation. (Project point of contact: Brooke Rosenblatt, F|S)

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden and Freer|Sackler Galleries for a collaborative project for developing real-time captioning for time-based media. (Project points of contact: Jacob Kim, HMSG, and Ryan King, F|S)

National Museum of American History for the Inclusion Infusion Project on access for visitors who are blind or have low vision. (Project point of contact: Julia Garcia)

National Zoological Park, for the Gibbon Ridge project on multi-sensory access for visitors. (Project point of contact: Devra Wexler, NZP)

Smithsonian Exhibits for improving the accessibility of exhibit graphics for visitors who are blind or have low vision. (Project point of contact: Susan Ades)

Successfully implementing these projects will enhance the Smithsonian’s ability to address the needs of our visitors with disabilities and increase accessibility for everyone. In addition, the Smithsonian community will have an opportunity this fall to learn more about the SAIF-awarded projects through a showcase organized by Access Smithsonian. (Additional information will be forthcoming.)

These awards represent another step forward in our commitment to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to experience the rich content that the Smithsonian offers. Our strategic plan focuses on interdisciplinary collaboration and increasing access to everything our museums, libraries, and research centers have to offer. The Smithsonian Accessibility Innovations Fund Awards underscore our efforts to bring together visitors and employees alike.

For more information about the Smithsonian Accessibility Innovations Fund and how your unit can participate, please contact Beth Ziebarth at ziebarth@si.edu.