Beyond Compliance: Redefining Accessibility to Create a More Connected Visitor Experience for All
Overview
For nearly a century, the Shedd Aquarium has inspired millions to connect with the aquatic world. As this iconic institution prepared for its next hundred years of impact—including significant physical and digital investments—it faced a critical challenge: How could it ensure these new experiences were not just accessible, but truly inclusive and meaningful for visitors with disabilities?
The Shedd recognized it had a knowledge gap. To move beyond simple compliance and create an experience that would educate and inspire future generations, it needed a deeper understanding of the needs, goals, and daily lives of these guests.
An Opportunity to Redefine Inclusion
The Shedd’s mission is to connect people with the living world. To fulfill that mission for everyone, they needed to go deeper than standard accessibility guidelines. The challenge wasn't just about identifying barriers; it was about uncovering opportunities to create richer, more engaging experiences that would resonate with all visitors, regardless of their abilities.
They asked us to help them answer the question: How might we gain a richer context for the accessibility needs of our visitors in order to create a truly meaningful experience?
Our Approach
We believe that to solve a problem, you must first understand the people at its center. Instead of starting with a broad survey of all disabilities, we partnered with the Shedd to focus on a community that could provide a unique and illuminating perspective: people with low to no vision.
Our collaborative research process included:
- In-depth, empathetic interviews with members of the blind and low-vision community to understand their daily lives, their motivations for visiting cultural institutions, and what makes for a truly memorable experience.
- Expert consultations with blind scientists and academics who offered surprising insights into how non-visual senses can be used to understand and connect with the natural world.
- Technical accessibility audits of the Shedd's current digital platforms to identify immediate opportunities for improvement.
This approach allowed us to move beyond assumptions and uncover the core human needs that drive engagement and connection.
The Result: Discovering the "Curb Cut Effect"
Our research revealed a transformative insight: designing for the most specific needs creates a better experience for everyone. We call this the "Curb Cut Effect." By focusing on the low-to-no-vision community, we identified principles that unlock a more intuitive, multi-sensory, and emotionally resonant experience for all visitors.
We moved the conversation from "compliance" to "connection." The goal is no longer just to meet a standard, but to create the conditions for every guest to feel a sense of wonder and belonging. From our research, we distilled three powerful principles for any institution to adopt:
- Enable Independence: Visitors want to explore on their own terms. We identified ways to provide tools and information that empower guests to navigate their visit with confidence and curiosity, reducing reliance on others.
- Prioritize Emotional Connection over Facts: While facts are important, our research showed that what visitors truly remember and value is the emotional connection they feel. Experiences should be designed to evoke awe, wonder, and empathy first.
- Make Multi-Sensory the Standard: An experience that engages multiple senses is not just an accommodation; it's a richer, more memorable experience for everyone. We recommended making sound, touch, and even scent integral parts of exhibit design.
From Insight to Impact: Actionable Outcomes
Our research provided the Shedd with a clear roadmap to translate these powerful new principles into practice. The work delivered a set of strategic, actionable outcomes to guide their investments and empower their teams:
- A Strategic Framework for Inclusive Design: The core design principles now serve as a new lens for the Shedd, guiding the development of future exhibits and digital tools to ensure they are multi-sensory, intuitive, and emotionally engaging for all.
- A Prioritized Digital Roadmap: The technical audit resulted in a list of high-impact, low-effort improvements for the Shedd’s digital platforms, allowing them to make immediate enhancements to the online visitor experience—from planning a visit to learning from home.
- A New Vision for Community Engagement: The insights sparked innovative ideas for broadening the Shedd's impact beyond its walls, including concepts like an Artist Residency to explore non-visual exhibits and community craft nights to foster deeper engagement.
Ultimately, this partnership equipped the Shedd not only with solutions for today but with a new, human-centered way of thinking. The focus on connection over compliance is shaping a future where the aquarium is not just accessible, but is a place where every visitor can forge a lasting connection with the aquatic animal world.
