Please read the official Research Information Sheet in addition to this summary, it contains information about the ethics approval for this research.
Who?
- The researcher, Meredith Peruzzi, is an American PhD student at the University of Leicester. She is deaf and fluent in American Sign Language and International Sign; her British Sign Language is about Level 2.
- The participants can be anyone who identifies as having a hearing loss, is interested in museums, history, art, or related topics, and is comfortable communicating in sign language. (This research is being conducted in sign language without interpreters or lipspeakers.) I am looking for no more than five participants.
What?
- The participants, along with Meredith, will take a tour of the Wellcome Collection. There are several exhibitions by deaf people currently on view, but the group may decide to view any part of the museum they wish.
- Participants will be compensated £20 for their time.
When?
- 26th July, at a time convenient for participants. The museum is open from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm on Saturdays; we could select a morning time of 10:00 or an afternoon time of 1:00 – whatever works best for most of us.
Where?
- The Wellcome Collection is located at 183 Euston Rd, London NW1 2BE. The nearest Tube stations are Euston Square, Warren Street, and Euston.
Why?
- Meredith’s PhD research is focused on creating deaf-friendly museum exhibitions and programmes. She is researching what the term deaf-friendly means to d/Deaf people, and how museums can improve beyond legal requirements and be truly welcoming to d/Deaf visitors. Her research work will inform how museums that are mostly staffed by hearing people change their approach to accessibility for d/Deaf people.
How?
- The research consists of a focus group held after the tour mentioned above. Participants will be asked questions about their experiences on the tour, as well as their previous visits to museums. The focus group will take between 60-90 minutes.
- It is important to note that the researcher is not fluent in BSL. All participants should expect to use some International Sign, American Sign Language, and fingerspelling in the conversation, to facilitate communication.