Prehistory in our Hands – museum items through replicas and tactile drawing: example through a pilot exhibitio

Sa？etak Museum institutions have increasingly tended to adapt their premises and contents to persons with disabilities. The basic processes normally relate to so-called architectural barriers however even greater attention should be focused on content barriers. Through its involvement in a project intended to enhance the accessibility of museum institutions to persons with disabilities, the Archeological Museum of Istria has decided to dedicate its thematic exhibition titled “Prehistory in our Hands” to presenting the prehistoric life in Istria to the blind population. After providing initial theoretical information about the basic principles of removing barriers and presenting contents to blind persons, intensive cooperation was initiated with members of the Association of Blind and Visually Impaired Persons of Istrian County and it was defined how the exhibition would be implemented. Considering the new methods of making replicas and tactile graphics, numerous exhibits were present, each in its own way and subject to the relevant abilities and needs. This paper presents various possibilities of making replicas of museum exhibits and presenting them through tactile drawings. All methods presented have been tested in cooperation with blind persons