A multisensory experimental itinerary for Earth Sciences

The University of Catania is making a significant effort, within the mission of relationship with civil society, through the University Museum Sy- stem (SiMuA) in promoting initiatives that – combining strategies of audience development and audience engagement – encourage not only an enhancement of the rich heritage it has, but also a greater involvement of different audiences in its cultural offer, paying particular attention to the theme of accessibility, placed at the center of the recent activities held in the various cultural realities relating to SiMuA. An example among these is the multisensory experience with the creation of a tactile itinerary aimed to discover the University’s geo- logical and mineralogical collections, as described in this contribution. It had a dual purpose: on the one hand, to bring some young students closer to STEM subjects, towards which there is growing disaffection, through an experimen- tal approach; on the other, to raise awareness of inclusiveness by making them part of the less fortunate visitors, blind or visually impaired, who are used to enjoying the collections through the senses