Madam Secretary of State, dear Ségolène,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Dear friends,

I am pleased to conclude the work of the Commission nationale Culture et Handicap with the presentation of the “Heritage for All” award, which distinguishes exemplary initiatives in the accessibility of heritage places to persons with disabilities.

This is a major issue for me. How could it be otherwise, when the first ambition I gave to my ministry was to seek the participation of all French people in cultural life? This ambition, I am convinced, can only be achieved to the extent that cultural life itself strives to make room for everyone.We must overcome the reluctance of those who fear not to be in their place. We must arouse the curiosity and interest of those who, for the time being, have no desire to visit or participate, and we must remove the obstacles that prevent them from joining. In this process of inclusion, the lack of suitable offer cannot be the rule: it can only be the exception.

This is the objective we must pursue, in the spirit of the 2005 act.

That is what we work on every day, with my administration, with the companies and public institutions that come under my supervision, with the teams of Ségolène Neuville, and in consultation with all the representatives of persons with disabilities.

Today’s meeting of the Disability Culture Commission was a milestone. It seems to me that it was entirely fruitful, in the image of this method of consultation, of seeking agreement. It is the best way to serve the general interest and the best way to bear fruit.

Before we talk about how accessibility has advanced in the heritage field – particularly through projects of excellence, such as the ones we will crown in a few minutes – let meI would like to go back to the most concrete advances in accessibility, which we discussed earlier.

It is in the access to reading for people with disabilities that we are making significant progress today.

In the Freedom of Creation, Architecture and Heritage Act that I carry — and that I will present to the Senate in a fortnight — we are indeed revising the “Disability” exception to copyright. It will now be open to DYS audiences – dyslexic and dyspraxic. All the measures taken will make it possible to improve the adaptation activity and the productivity of the adapted edition, by sharing the adapted digital files. Digital textbooks will also be deposited on this shared platform, starting in September 2016. We will go as quickly as possible: I intend that the implementing decrees on the Handicap exception will be promulgated in the second half of the year.

This progress is not just a matter of law.

They will be all the more effective as we will increase awareness of the adapted offer, especially in Daisy audio format, and by investing in the library network, as the Valentin Hüy association has shown. I had the opportunity to visit their media library and sign a framework agreement with the association very soon.

This progress will be all the more effective as we better support the actors of adapted publishing, who are already doing a great job. In order to launch new avenues of action, we must first have a precise inventory of what is already being done in this area and the resources allocated to it. We also have to look at the production and distribution chains of adapted publishing in detail, in order to assess its productivity at best. We will therefore work, Ségolène Neuville and myself, to set up a joint mission of the General Inspection of Cultural Affairs and the General Inspection of Social Affairs, in consultation with the National Education.

It is then in the access of hearing-impaired people to audiovisual services and information that we are preparing to make essential changes. I want to commend the priorities that Delphine Ernotte has set for herself. As of June 2016, a player, available on Smart TV, will provide access to interpretation of some French sign language programs. I wanted the 1:00 and 8:00 newspapers to be translated as well, which will be effective from October, as well as exceptional information flashes. More generally, accessibility will be an issue for France Télévisions' future continuous news channel. And even more broadly, the issue of the representation of persons with disabilities on television is obviously a subject for the public broadcaster, as well as for changing our view of disability.

It is also important to highlight the progress we have made in terms of accessibility in cinema, thanks to the resolute action of the CNC. We will now be able to support operators who own fewer than 50 screens for their accessibility work, as well as for their acquisition of sensory accessibility equipment. To do this, the CNC has decided to use the selective assistance mechanism for the creation and modernization of theatres, which it subscribes to an additional €2 million from 2015.

Access to the culture of people with disabilities is finally a citizen issue for us. The debate between two rounds of the presidential elections will now be interpreted in sign language, because this is an essential event for democratic life. The President of the Republic was committed to it. We will also engage youth in civic service in cultural institutions to contribute to access to culture for people with disabilities. They will be trained for this – we will work with disability associations and professionals. I finally asked the institutions under my supervision to welcome young people with disabilities in civic service.

So, my dear friends, we are collectively committed to advancing the participation of persons with disabilities in the cultural life of our country. But if there is one area that brings us together this evening, with these awards that I am about to present, it is obviously heritage.

In fact, more and more disabled visitors are visiting museums, exhibitions and monuments, or attending events such as the European Heritage Days or the Night of Museums. They do this sometimes as part of a visit initiated and supervised by an association, sometimes in the company of their entourage, sometimes in autonomy. We have to respond now, and not to disappoint the expectation they have, like all French people, with regard to culture.

In the first place, this means making buildings more accessible.

This then presupposes a range of visit assistance tools, better adapted to each type of disability.

Finally, it involves the specialization of guidance and mediation professionals in the reception and design of visit aids, and more generally, an awareness of these issues among all staff of heritage institutions.

The winners of the 2015 edition of this Prize Heritage for All» They illustrate perfectly the different ways of applying these three principles. This is the most concrete proof that any institution is capable of contributing to the autonomy of persons who are not able-bodied and of allowing the miscegenation of the public, which benefits everyone.

I am pleased to present these awards today in the presence of Ségolène Neuville.

Thank you to the jury, which was attended by Marie Prost-Colleta, Ministerial Delegate for Accessibility, and representatives of the main associations of persons with disabilities and civil society. Thanks to Vincent Berjot, Director General of Heritage, for chairing it.

Thanks to the local authorities and our major operators,

Thanks to the investment of the many volunteers and associations, the project and construction owners, professionals and experts who, on a daily basis, advance the cause of widespread accessibility.

I want to pay tribute to all the applicant institutions that have competed in ingenuity and imagination, competence and technicality for the benefit of the greatest number.

Many of them anticipated the new regulatory provisions on accessibility of the built environment by presenting the main provisions to be included in their planned accessibility agenda (PA).

As pointed out by the member associations of the jury, we must be attentive to the websites of cultural institutions because it is not only a question of making but also of letting all the public know that the institutions are accessible to them.

The first prize was awarded unanimously by the members of the jury at the Departmental Museum of Ceramics, Lezoux because it is today emblematic of “accessibility for all”, thanks to its layout, its scenography and its adapted discovery routes, but also to mediations for all types of disability, and its cultural activities that contribute to the autonomy of visitors with disabilities. Thank you to the Departmental Council of Puy de Dôme for being the active support.

I invite Dominique BRIAT, Vice-President in charge of culture and associative life at the Departmental Council of Puy-de-Dôme, to join us

The second prize went to the Quimper Museum of Fine Arts and the Fabre Museum in Montpellier.

Quimper Museum of Fine Artshas also done a lot for accessibility. And I remember in particular his project Art by all senses ” which combines classes of students with disabilities with a collective of adult artists with mental disabilities who work together to create mediation tools. Today these tools are offered to all school groups.

I invite Guillaume AMBROISE, director of the Musée des beaux-arts de Quimper, to join us

The Fabre Museum of Montpellier,he, stands out for his adapted path, The museum gently as well as its cultural programming, adapted to each disability. Its success owes much to its referent “accessibility and specific audiences” whose work I want to commend.

I invite Bernard Travier, Vice-President in charge of Culture at Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole, to join us

The Picasso Museum in Antibes receives a special mention today.Both through its restoration, exemplary and adapted – it is located within the Grimaldi castle – through its projects and its work with associations representing people with disabilities, and by the role it plays in this area in the PACA region.

I invite Jean-Louis Andral, director of museums of the city of Antibes, to join us

The National Archives are distinguished today, and I am deeply proud of it, thanks to the accessibility of the reading rooms of the Paris and Pierrefitte sites, their website and the place they occupy at the meeting of cultural institutions for accessibility (RECA).

I invite Françoise Banat-Berger, Director of the National Archives, to join us

 

The National Sports Museum of Nice, recently reopened, focused on the diversity of audiences and the link between sport and disability. This is a great example of our ability to accommodate all audiences.

I inviteMarie Grasse, Director of the National Sport Museum, to join us