Vienna (OTS) –Under the leadership of the AIT Center for Technology Experience, ten partners from Europe are working to give older people barrier-free access to museums, exhibitions, paintings and works of art using new technological ideas.
Physical impairments, limited mobility or poor eyesight, staying in a retirement home or needing care, a remote location and no museum nearby – there are many reasons why older people are currently practically excluded from art and culture. Especially in the winter months, many older people are afraid of leaving the house or injuring themselves on icy paths.
This is where the BeauCoup (Building Active User Experience to Bring Culture to the People) project comes in, which is funded by the EU “Active and Assisted Living” (AAL) program. Older people should be given access to art and culture in an innovative way and with the help of new technologies – not in the local cultural institutions, but where people aged 65+ live or stay: too At home, in a retirement home or even in a senior club.
The target group is large: According to Statistics Austria, there are currently 1.78 million people aged 65 and over in Austria alone (almost 20 percent of the total population). “In this project, we want to give all of you a new opportunity to discover art and culture for yourself and to find your personal, individual approach to art,” emphasizes project leader Andreas Sackl, researcher at the AIT Center for Technology Experience. “Using a multisensory approach that is based on the needs of the target group, older people should be able to experience culture in a way that also promotes their cognitive skills and interaction with other people,” emphasizes Sackl.
Three “toolboxes” for a wonderful “art experience”
In the BeauCoup project, three “toolboxes” were developed in close collaboration with future users, some of which are based on results from the individual partners’ previous research projects: “The Bag”, “The Box” and “The Screen”. They offer different settings for barrier-free art experiences or wonderful “art experiences”.
“The Bag”: The project developed a specially designed “backpack” with analog and digital aids that supports older people in exploring a city on their own. It includes tactile postcards, a tablet with special barrier-free functions, tactile reliefs and 3D printed models. In addition, a mobile app offers content on different channels (e.g. audio descriptions or videos that can be customized to improve the video experience for visually impaired people) that convey interesting information about the history, art and culture of a city and appeal to different senses.
“The Box”: This collection includes analog and digital tools that make it possible to experience art and culture on different topics and in different places. In addition, shared multisensory experiences under the guidance of experts give older people a completely new look at art and culture. For example, “The Box” allows you to read enlarged prints, experiment with taste and smell (e.g. “scent cards”) and visit virtually curated pop-up exhibitions via tablet, which are supported by a sign language avatar. “The Box” also includes a tactile multimedia guide with which users can experience interactive, multi-sensory content.
“The Screen”: A special tablet app makes it possible to take part in themed tours to selected places and sights remotely. The app has a barrier-free and intuitive user interface with which the 65+ target group can virtually take part in an interactive tour. Communication with the tour guide is just as possible as a lively exchange with other people.
Evaluation starts in March A comprehensive study with the participation of older people will begin in March with these three “toolboxes” to check their usability and practical applicability. Around 200 people will take part across Europe. “Our aim is to examine together with older people how and whether this new art experience works in practice. We want to convey the joy and fun of art to seniors using new analog and digital technologies,” says Andreas Sackl. Specifically, the tests take place at the project partners’ sites as well as in museums and retirement homes in Europe.
Funding information The BeauCoup project is coordinated by the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology. Partners from five different European countries are in the consortium: In addition to the AIT, there are the Aid Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired, VRVis, NOUS and Sign Time (Austria), the University of Siena and the Fondazione Musei Senesi (Italy), the Terz Foundation (Switzerland), Santa Casa da Misericórdia Lisbon (Portugal) and Freelif (Slovenia) are involved. The project was started in April 2022 and will run until autumn 2024 and is funded by the EU “Active and Assisted Living” (AAL) program.
Age distribution Statistics Austria:
Questions & Contact:
Mag. Christine Wahlmüller-Schiller Marketing and Communications AIT Austrian Institute of Technology Center for Technology Experience T +43 (0)50550-4537 christine.wahlmueller-schiller@ait.ac.at I www.ait.ac.at
Mag. Michael H. Head Head of Corporate and Marketing Communications AIT Austrian Institute of Technology T +43 (0)50550-4014 michael. head@ait.ac.at / www.ait.ac.at
