Home > News > MuseumLab’s Enhances User Experience for Individuals on the Autism Spectrum

Children's Museum of Pittsburgh, MuseumLab designed to enhance the user experience of individuals on the autism spectrum.

MuseumLab. Some Big Words by Mia Tarducci. Design Architects: KoningEizenberg; Architect of Record: PWWG. Photo © Eric Staudenmaier

Autistic Pride Day is a celebration of the neurodiversity of people on the autism spectrum that takes place annually on June 18th. The IDEA Center continues to support inclusion of rights for all people and celebrates the amazing qualities of individuals with autism. Many of our projects seek to improve the built environment in order to enhance the overall experience of individuals with autism.

MuseumLab at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh is a recently completed isUD certified project that provides an inclusive place for visitors of all abilities, especially individuals with autism. The design features generously spaced corridors and doorways, lighting and color contrasts to enhance perception abilities, a comprehensive and consistent wayfinding system, multisensory signage and non-textual graphic information, and sound absorption material to limit noise transmission to and from surrounding spaces. All of these features enhance the visitor experience.

“We noticed that the automatic toilet flush systems and high-powered hand dryers could be distressing to visitors with autism or sensory challenges. So we replaced them with manual flush valves and quieter dryers. No one noticed, but it was deliberate,” says the project director, Chris Cieslak.

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