Wasana Chokkriengkrai. An exhibition design proposal for grade 3 visually handicapped children from the Bangkok School for the Blind : a case study of the natural and environmental room, Children's Discovery museum, Bangkok . Master's Degree(Cultural Studies). Mahidol University. : Mahidol University, 2003.
An exhibition design proposal for grade 3 visually handicapped children from the Bangkok School for the Blind : a case study of the natural and environmental room, Children's Discovery museum, Bangkok
Abstract:
Museums are important places of non-formal education, providing life-long learning and sociocultural
learning. Museums should be accessible to all people, including the visually handicapped.
Grade 3 Science teachers from the Bangkok School for the Blind use the Children’s Discovery
Room as a learning resource because it has the potential to stimulate creativity and learning. At the
school, these teachers are accustomed to using various media such as animal miniature models, cassette
tapes, or walks around the school so the children can touch real plants and animals. However, the museum
does not provide similar experiences. For visually handicapped children, the museum presents problems
with inappropriate media and exhibition design, and the absence of a teaching kit designed for their
learning style. This study aims to provide solutions to these problems by designing an exhibition suitable
for these children, incorporating appropriate media and a computer-based teaching kit.
This was a qualitative research, which used field research and data collection. Observation and
in-depth interviews were used in this research. The key informants were teachers at the Bangkok School
for the Blind, Ratchasuda College officers, workers in the Children’s Discovery Museum, and visually
handicapped children. In addition, data was collected about exhibition design for the visually handicapped.
The design had to be concerned with safety and with creating a lifelike atmosphere. Lifelike
and miniature models were found to be useful for the visually handicapped and suitable for their learning
style. The exhibition content had to relate to the subjects they were learning. The proposed design
incorporates four zones which respond to these needs: 1) Introduction zone 2) Small-sized animal kingdom
3) Large-sized animal kingdom 4) Aquatic animals and plants. In addition, the DAISY program and
Tactile Image by Tactile Image Enhancer machine was used to produce an accompanying teaching kit
that teachers and children could use before going to the museum to enhance their experience. It is
recommended that museums consider this design and incorporate aspects in future exhibitions.