In a museum context, people have specific needs in terms of physical, cognitive, and social accessibility that cannot be ignored. Therefore, we need to find a way to make art and culture accessible to them through the aid of Universal Design principles, advanced technologies, and suitable interfaces and contents. Integration of such factors is a priority of the Museums General Direction of the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage, within the wider strategy of museum exploitation. In accordance with this issue, the IntARSI project, publicly funded, consists of a pre-evaluation and a report of technical specifications for a new concept of museology applied to the new Museum of Civilization in Rome (MuCIV). It relates to planning of multimedia, virtual, and mixed reality applications based on the concept of “augmented” and multisensory experience, innovative tangible user interfaces, and storytelling techniques. An inclusive approach is applied, taking into account the needs and attitudes of a wide audience with different ages, cultural interests, skills, and expectations, as well as cognitive and physical abilities.

Museums are active agents shaping cultural experience by influencing perception, orientation, and interpretation. Wayfinding is therefore essential for visitors with diverse cognitive, sensory, linguistic, and cultural needs. This paper presents a teaching experiment that combines Cognitive Ergonomics, Universal Design (UD), Human-Centred Design (HCD), and Project-Based Learning (PBL) in a real-world context to guide the design of inclusive museum wayfinding systems capable of reducing cognitive load and improving visitors’ autonomy. The experiment was conducted in 2025 within the Psychology and Cognitive Ergonomics course of the Program in Design at Sapienza University of Rome and involved 200 students. The case study was the Archaeological Museum of the Italic Peoples “Amedeo Maiuri” in Veroli during an exhibition rearrangement process. The methodology included analysis of the context of use, on-site surveys, configurational analysis of spatial layouts, identification of user profiles and engagement with stakeholder associations through qualitative interviews, task analysis to identify critical decision points, definition of performance requirements, and development of prototype solutions. The task required the development of a reversible wayfinding system using eco-sticker signage to meet conservation and sustainability constraints. Based on the identified critical points, students defined key design requirements (visibility, comprehensibility, recognisability, and multisensory accessibility) and developed concepts by simulating user scenarios. Accessibility was addressed according to UD principles by integrating cognitive, perceptual, and social factors. The resulting concepts proposed systems based on colour coding, horizontal and vertical signs, pictograms, concise texts, and perceptual contrasts. Within this educational framework, the experiment provides a transferable teaching model for promoting active learning, raising awareness of UD and HCD principles among future designers, and linking research, design education, and cultural heritage management.

Accessibility, defined as inclusiveness in the access to and use of the built environment, is a complex process that involves several factors from multidisciplinary sectors. Thus, it is a prominent topic for heritage and cultural, tourist, social and economic regeneration and exploitation. Many historic villages in Italy offer potential heritage value for greater tourism attractiveness. This paper suggests a toolbox for differentiated accessibility levels. A case study identifies an analysis process of four activities, leading to a methodological scheme for determining accessibility options. 1) Direct preliminary analysis—walk-through and inspection—of the accessibility situation; 2) Selection of heritage characteristics and values for tourist attractiveness; 3) Community participation through questionnaires, interviews and walk-through; and. 4) Definition of a route system with different accessibility levels for human needs and expectations. The toolbox scheme can guide the accessibility process and steps towards alternative solutions on the basis of selected cultural values.