MICAS is committed to accessibility to all and believes that all people and all sectors of the community have a fundamental right to engage with, use and enjoy its collections and services. The aim of the policy is to ensure physical access to the collections is available to all; to enable everyone to enjoy and study its collections in as many ways as possible; and to ensure access to information about all works of the art space.

MICAS recognises the many barriers to access at all levels but is committed to ensure all aspects of its activities as fully accessible as much as its resources allow, including access to buildings, collections, events, exhibitions, and educational events, to its staff, volunteers, and visitors.

MICAS is committed to increase public access to its collections and information associated with its collections, and to increase knowledge and understanding of its items.

MICAS will provide welcoming staff and learning opportunities for different audiences with different levels of abilities and will tailor its programmes to meet the needs of specific groups. Activities and collections will be promoted by using accessible means of communication.

MICAS will adhere to all national and international statutes of law, and especially to those relating to access.

MICAS defines access as the removal or reduction of physical, cultural, social, sensory, intellectual, financial, emotional and attitudinal barriers.

To eliminate and reduce barriers and ensure equality of access MICAS will consider the following aspects of accessibility to its services and collections:

• Physical: enabling people with physical disabilities, the elderly and those caring for young people to reach and appreciate every part of its services and collections.
• Sensory: building into all aspects of the services activities a wide range of different sensory experiences.
• Intellectual: acknowledging that people have different learning styles and MICAS will support by adopting clear interpretive guidance.
• Cultural: acknowledging and recognising cultural differences and seeking to represent varied cultural experiences and issues through the MICAS programmes and exhibitions.
• Emotional: ensuring that all visitors feel welcomed and valued.
• Financial: aiming to minimise financial barriers to the use of sites and the collections as much as possible.

Deliverance of Policy

MICAS will ensure delivery of its approach in various ways, including but not limited to:

• Active participation in an equality framework which includes: Equality, Diversity, Cohesion and Diversity Impact Assessment of services and sites.
• Prioritisation of community engagement activities in its programme through the creation of additional posts supported by grants, donations, funding, and partnerships.
• Adopting best practice guidance for interpretation including exhibition texts and interactive aids.
• Consideration of varied audience needs and learning styles in its programme planning including formal learning at sites as well as across the service.
• Consideration of access issues, barriers, and priorities at all MICAS sites with appropriate action plans.
• Regular consultation with audiences and non-users to ensure the broadest possible access to MICAS facilities, services, and collections.
• Ensuring that all contractors, consultants, and outside agencies working for, or with MICAS adopt and observe the access policies.

Buildings and associated services

MICAS seeks to provide all visitors with access to the building, making alternative provisions where required. MICAS ensures that current and future building projects provide appropriate physical access for all visitors. Expert advice is sought where required. Some of the facilities it provides include:

• Access for Wheelchairs.
• Visitors are welcome to bring their own folding stools. Pre-booked groups of adults can request stools in advance of their visit when making a booking with the education department.
• Assistance dogs are welcome.
• Adapted toilets, baby changing rooms, and first-aid facilities are located around the building.

Safety in the building

MICAS takes account of the needs of all visitors in all its safety procedures. It is its policy to enable all occupants of the building to be evacuated at the same time in case of an emergency.

MICAS provides staff trained in responding to first aid incidents, including fire safety and emergencies.

Information and signage

MICAS aims to provide information in different forms that are accessible to all visitors. Some of the resources it provides include:

• Print versions of the floor plan.
• Large print labels – for the collection and temporary exhibitions.

Digital access

MICAS provides digital access to its collections and resources on and offsite through the following mediums:

• Its official website.
• Its social media channels.
• Digital content made available through the medium of film and audio content.
• Wi-Fi in the galleries and other public areas.
• Selected films accompanying the temporary exhibitions with subtitled.

MICAS reviews digital access regularly. Audience requirements are determined through research, testing, and feedback. MICAS has designed the website to standards that makes it easy to its audiences to get the information they need.

Learning about the collection

MICAS delivers a wide range of learning programmes for different audiences, designed to suit different levels of knowledge, backgrounds, interests, and learning styles.

MICAS will continue to consult people with disabilities, specialist organisations, and other museums, art spaces and galleries, on the best and most practical ways of improving intellectual access. Some of the services we provide include:

• Exhibition tickets – visitors with access requirements are eligible for concessions on exhibition tickets and may bring an escort free of charge. Tickets must be booked in advance from the MICAS website or on-site.

Employment and training

MICAS ensures that its employment practices do not discriminate against people with disabilities and maintains a system for monitoring and reviewing procedures.

Equality and diversity awareness forms an integral part of induction training for all new staff in visitor facing roles.

MICAS organises regular meetings to discuss improvements to its provisions and to agree upon recommendations for further action. All recommendations are reviewed. All approvals are made by the CEO in consultation with the Board of Trustees.

The CEO, in consultation with the MICAS Board, reserves the right to oversee any decisions concerning the MICAS Accessibility Policy and take the final decision.