Accessibility to Cultural Heritage: Museo Omero’s training course is back for 2026

Three days dedicated to one of the most awaited dates in the accessibility sector.

The training course "Accessibility to Cultural Heritage 2026", organized by the State Tactile Omero Museum, kicked off on April 16, 2026, at the Sala Boxe of the Mole Vanvitelliana in Ancona. An evergreen appointment: despite reaching its twenty-second edition, the event sold out in just a few weeks.

Running until April 18, this year's course features personnel from a wide range of institutions seeking training in accessibility, including: the Ducal Palace of Mantua, the National Museum of Bargello, the Appia Antica Archaeological Park, Fondazione Prada, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection (Venice), and the Sansevero Chapel Museum (Naples), the Municipalities of Milan, Ancona, and Rome, and the State Archives of Ancona and the Universities of Venice, Macerata, Camerino, and Padua.

Notably, several people with disabilities are participating. As is often the case at the Omero Museum, they are not just recipients of the training but protagonists in a direct dialogue aimed at building a vision of accessibility that is concrete, shared, and rooted in real experience.

The proceedings were opened by Aldo Grassini, President of the Omero Museum, who emphasized that accessibility is not a niche or specialist field, but a transversal perspective that concerns the entire cultural system.

Institutional greetings

he opening session saw contributions from Andrea Pessina (Superintendent of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape for Ancona and Pesaro Urbino) and Stefania Terrè (Councilor for UICI Marche and President of UICI Ancona). Marta Paraventi, Councilor for Culture of the Municipality of Ancona, also sent her regards.

The Course Modules

High-profile scientific experts are leading two distinct modules:

• Accessibility to Museum Heritage: Focusing on artistic and aesthetic education for the blind and visually impaired.
• Cultural Heritage and Tourism: Focusing on strategies to make these sectors accessible to the deaf community.

Speakers and Contributions

Alongside professionals from the Omero Museum—including Manuela Alessandrini, Monica Bernacchia, and Andrea Socrati—the event features Matteo Piccioni and Daniela Vasta from the Directorate General for Contemporary Creativity (DGCC), confirming the ongoing collaboration between the Museum and the Ministry of Culture.

A highlight of this edition is the participation of Costantino d’Orazio, Director of the National Museums of Perugia, with a talk titled "The National Gallery of Umbria Becomes Accessible," offering a direct case study of excellence in museum transformation.

Other contributing experts include:

• Nicoletta Marconi & Paolo De Cecco (Lega del Filo d’Oro)
• Lucia Baracco (Lettura Agevolata)
• Loretta Secchi (Anteros Tactile Museum of Ancient and Modern Painting)
• Nicoletta Grassi (Typhlo-didactic Center of Pesaro)
• Barbara Pennacchi (CNR - Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies)
• Maria Chiara Andriello (Rai Pubblica Utilità)
• Violante Nonno (Licensed Tour Guide, Lazio)
• Stefania Vannini (Borghese Gallery)

This collection of expertise bridges the gap between research, design, and the practical application of accessibility within cultural spaces.

The course is recognized by the Ministry of Education and Merit as a qualified training activity. Furthermore, it is valid for Professional Training Credits (CFP) recognized by the Order of Architects.