For those of you interacting with my website for the first time, welcome. For those of you who know me, and who already know a bit about me, good to see you. This post is a short introduction to who I am, who I want to be, and what I do.
My name is Ross Edelstein. I have a BA in History from Truman State University, a MA in Museum Studies from Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis as of May of 2021, and will be working on a PhD in Special Education from Indiana University starting August 2021. My passion is accessibility work, and if you’re reading this, it might be something you’re interested.
I’m here to tell you that anyone can work to make their museum more inclusive. Some of the people most passionate about accessibility I have met are in collections. I didn’t even get interested in museum accessibility until I started my Master’s, and even those first tentative steps were curiosity rather than drive.
I had been working at the Indiana State Museum, where a sensory friendly day had been put on, just before starting the program. When I was given the lovely, vague, yet specific assignment to “research anything in museums,” I knew I wanted to look into these programs, as well as what museums were doing for people with autism.
After all, when I was a kid, nobody was doing programs for people with autism.
Nobody was making programs for me.
Since then, I’ve had so many wonderful opportunities. I’ve collaborated with some of the finest museums, and had opportunities to speak about not only my personal experiences, but my research and work at organizations across the country, from webinars to conferences. I like to think I’m making some impact on the field.
Most importantly, if you’re reading this and have never met me, I’d like to think that we could impact each other.
Let’s work together, and make the world a more inclusive place.
