The Value of Validating a Participatory Project

Abstract

The following paper is based on the experiences gathered during the European participatory research project ARCHES(Accessible Resources for Cultural Heritage EcyoSystems). The project was 3-years long during which participants with different access needs associated with communication, perception, memory and cognition designed and developed museum and technological resources. This paper will share the evaluation framework by which we evaluated the process of working together. It will also highlight the key lessons learned from the collaboration with participants, technology and museum partners related to: 1. The need to be open to change 2. The need to be patient and manage time flexibly 3. The need to disseminate the project from the beginning of the project.