By CEO Tamar Davis
The Hostage Tunnel Exhibit Comes to Boston
In just over a week’s time, the international Hostage Tunnel Exhibit will be downtown in Boston City Hall Plaza. Designed in consultation with hostages who were released in November 2023, this exhibit is an audio-visual simulation of hostages’ experiences in Hamas tunnels in Gaza.
Accessibility Features of the Exhibit
I was pleased to be contacted by one of the event organizers, who was seeking disability community representatives to ensure this exhibit was accessible and to spread the word about it. They proudly told me the entire exhibit had been modified for wheelchair accessibility, and we then brainstormed how to make it more accessible for other disabilities as well. We discussed incorporating ASL interpretation at specific times, options for sensory adjustments, and adding pauses to the audio to allow for visual descriptions.
Accessibility is Good for Events
For an exhibit like this one, where there is a call to action to the entire community, we need to make sure the entire community can participate. Too often, people with disabilities will not even consider attending something like this if accommodations aren’t clearly available. With my hearing disability, I am always looking to see if there are things like sound amplification, a script or captioning, and quieter spaces when I attend an exhibit, an event, or a program.
When your synagogue, school, or organization is planning an event, it’s important to continue to make accessibility integral to the planning at every stage — and to advertise that accessibility loudly and proudly! These events create and strengthen bonds in our community, and it is our collective responsibility to share networks and expertise to ensure that all can attend meaningfully and comfortably. It fills me with pride to see Gateways included as a partner and a resource in this effort in Greater Boston and beyond.
