Cultural participation in museums II

In November 2025, another sub-study was conducted as part of the project Cultural Participation in Museums II – Developing Participatory Access to Museums for People with Intellectual Disabilities. The CompanionApp was tested at the Museum Harbour of the German Maritime Museum in Bremerhaven.

As part of a feasibility study, the CompanionApp, developed at the Social Work and Computer Science faculties of Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences, has already been tested by four participants with intellectual disabilities (ID) from Lebenshilfe Wolfsburg and two specialists over an eight-week period.

The prototype of an augmented reality-based navigation app, developed in an agile, interdisciplinary and participatory process, is designed to provide unobtrusive digital support to people with orientation disorders, thereby increasing their independence and autonomy.

As part of a multiple case study, 43 workshop employees with ID from Lebenshilfe Bremerhaven tested the app in a museum context. The participants were guided to various exhibits in the museum harbour with the help of the app and received information in easy language about each exhibit. The texts were created in advance together with the cultural diversity team, a group of experts consisting of people with ID.

 In addition to the navigation function, this time the focus was on the extent to which the app could also be used as a communication medium in the future. The aim is to make museum content accessible and to open up new ways of imparting knowledge in an inclusive manner. The feedback from participants was very positive. Particular mention was made of the ease of use and the added value for self-determined and barrier-free use of the museum's offerings.

After a few minor adjustments, the CompanionApp will be available to visitors at the German Maritime Museum in the course of the year.