FedOAPress - Beyond accessibility. Cultural Heritage for All

Publisher: FedOA - Federico II University Press

Series: Beyond accessibility. Cultural Heritage for All

Series Scientific Directors: Erminia Attaianese (University of Naples Federico II), Alessandra Pagliano (University of Naples Federico II)

Scientific Committee: Barbara Ansaldi (Ph.D. University of Napoles Federico II); Greta Attademo (Ph.D. University of Naples Federico II); Maresa Bertolo (Polimi); Carmela Bravaccio (University of Napoles Federico II); Cristina Candito (University of Genoa); Francesco Delizia  (Charterhouse and Museum of San Martino); Tommaso Empler (University of Rome La Sapienza); Laura Farroni (University Roma Tre); Paolo Giulierini (MANN); Giovanni Minucci  (Tulipano Art Friendly); Nigel Newbutt (IALT); Anna Lisa Pecora (Ph.D., Ministry of Public Education)¸ Loretta Secchi (Alma Mater of Bologna); Thaisa Sampaio (Universidade Federal De  Alagoas); Zilsa Maria Santiago (Universidade Federal do Ceará); Isabella T. Steffan, (Experienced Architect in Design for All); Pierfrancesco Talamo (PAFLEG); Francesca Tosi (University of Florence), Maria Venditti (FISH).

Editorial board: Morena Barilà, Alessandra Coppola, Daniele De Pascale, Carlo Lubrano, Laura Papa, Giulio Salvatore

Languages: Italian, English

Topic and Contents of the Book Series: The possibility to fully enjoy cultural heritage, in its different expressions and dimensions, is a fundamental human freedom, based on the founding principles of equality and non-discrimination of international human rights standards (MIBAC, 2016). These include the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN, 2008), which states in Article No. 30 the right of all to enjoy cultural life on equal terms, by adopting appropriate actions to ensure that they can have access to cultural assets, of all kinds and nature, and to those sites that represent or host culturally significant activities. But the issue of the access and full enjoyment concerns all individuals, since considering the new definition of disability, introduced by the World Health Organization in 2001 (ICF, 2001), every person, during his or her lifetime, may experience situations that cause him or her to have conditions of limited ability, both physical, mental, intellectual and sensorial. Therefore, the concepts of ability/disability, referring to people, are linked to those of accessibility/barrier/obstacle, referring to the environment, since the characteristics of the physical and the communication contexts, can reduce or cancel, but also facilitate and enhance, their functional abilities and social participation, thus ensuring equality and inclusion.  After all, the Cultural Heritage and Landscape Code stipulates that promoting knowledge of cultural heritage and ensuring the best conditions for its full enjoyment for all are central activities for the enhancement of cultural sites. They are therefore actively asked to offer adequate levels of accessibility, physical and/or perceptual-cognitive, satisfying the needs and requirements expressed, implied or special, by the broadest possible segment of the public, regardless of diversity and disability, temporary or permanent. Based on these premises, the book series intends to host the outcomes of research and applications on the topic of inclusive design for the accessibility, enjoyment, and physical, cognitive, and emotional perception of Cultural Heritage, from sites of cultural interest to cultural products, of all types and natures, according to the Design for All approach. This approach forces the project to have an inclusive dimension that goes beyond the concept of disability by placing respect for the real man, his variability, diversity and autonomy at the centre, according to a human-centred perspective. In the Book Series, the theme of the inclusive project is integrated with that of digital technologies applied to the experience of fruition, which, if conceived and developed according to the same inclusive principles, can provide highly effective innovative tools for the enhancement of human abilities, the overcoming of barriers and the access to the knowledge for an increasingly large and global audience, thus contributing to a real enhancement of Cultural Heritage, and for this, to the improvement of society.

 Peer review process: All submissions are double-blind peer reviewed by at least two external reviewers.