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Traveling Exhibits

Maintenance

An exhibit has to be accessible and maintainable. Sometimes these needs are in conflict. Then the team looks for mutually acceptable solutions. And sometimes the solutions don’t work too well.

Some examples -

• In computer kiosks there is a conflict between knee space for wheelchair users, height of the keyboard or other controls and space for the computer equipment.
  The problem: Remote access to computers makes it hard to maintain and repair them when they crash.
  The solution: Whenever possible, keep computer equipment local. Maintain a 28 in. height and set the tabletop out further, so that there is room for both computer and a wheelchair user’s knees and footrest.

• Up/Down Wentzscope table height crank: Some visitors think that the cranks focus the Wentzscopes, so they force them too hard and strip the mechanism. This problem could be solved with good labeling. However, given visitors’ label reading practices, our exhibits maintenance manager prefers mounting microscopes on a fixed height angled tabletop. In our experience, this is an acceptable solution for most users.

• Braille characters break off all the time and are difficult to replace. It is hard for Maintenance staff that doesn’t read braille to replace letters, or even to detect when one dot has been removed. Relief letters and numbers don’t break off as easily, and can be replaced readily when they do.

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