Summary
Meredith Peruzzi is a deaf public historian and museum professional. Her primary research field is the history of Gallaudet University, and the history of deaf education and the deaf community in the United States. She began in the museum field as a volunteer for the Baltimore City Life Museums, and rose to become the director of the National Deaf Life Museum at Gallaudet University, a position she held for over ten years. Today she works as an independent consultant on the topic of making exhibitions and programming more accessible to deaf visitors, which is the subject of her current PhD research at the University of Leicester.
Current Work
Founder, Echo Spark Consulting
- Focused accessibility reviews tailored to museums, offering a thorough evaluation of the institution’s physical environment, exhibits, and visitor experiences. Written reports outline findings and recommendations, and offer actionable examples for implementing suggested improvements.
- Evaluation management support for every step of the process, from participant recruitment to data analysis and report generation. Interviews and focus groups conducted in American Sign Language and/or International Sign, allowing participants to convey their views directly to an evaluator without needing to go through a translator.
- Informative and engaging presentations on the importance of creating welcoming museum experiences so that deaf and disabled visitors can feel a sense of belonging in museums. Front-of-house trainings on how to interact with deaf visitors, and back-of-house trainings on what changes can be made to ensure disability-friendly experiences.
- Deaf-focused workshops on archiving, heritage preservation, museum development, and more.
- Content development, exhibition curation, and presentations regarding deaf history, disability history, queer history, and the history of sexuality.
Pronouns and Terminology
My pronouns in English are she/they. For more information and other languages, visit my pronouns page.