11-06-2017 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Visitor's Bill of Rights A list of important human needs as seen from the visitors' perspective, the Visitor's Bill of Rights was used to help asses existing conditions and identify needs at Wargo Nature Center, as well as prioritize future improvements. #1. COMFORT "MEET MY BASIC NEEDS." Visitors need fast, easy, obvious access to clean, safe, barrier -free restrooms, fountains, food, baby -changing tables, and plenty of seating. They also need full access to exhibits. #2. ORIENTATION "MAKE IT EASY FOR ME TO FIND MY WAY AROUND." Visitors need to make sense of their surroundings. Clear signs and well-planned spaces help them know what to expect, where to go, how to get there and what it's about. #3. WELCOME/BELONGING "MAKE ME FEEL WELCOME." Friendly, helpful staff ease visitors' anxieties. If they see themselves represented in exhibits and programs and on the staff, they'll feel like they belong. #4. ENJOYMENT "I WANT TO HAVE FUN!" Visitors want to have a good time. If they run into barriers (like broken exhibits, activities they can't relate to, intimidating labels) they can get frustrated, bored, confused. #5. SOCIALIZING "I CAME TO SPEND TIME WITH MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS." Visitors come for a social outing with family or friends (or to connect with society at large). They expect to talk, interact, and share the experience; exhibits can set the stage for this. #6. RESPECT "ACCEPT ME FOR WHO I AM AND WHAT I KNOW." Visitors want to be accepted at their own level of knowledge and interest. They don't want exhibits, labels or staff to exclude them, patronize them or make them feel dumb. #7. COMMUNICATION "HELP ME UNDERSTAND, AND LET ME TALK, TOO" Visitors need accuracy, honesty, and clear communication from labels, programs, and docents. They want to ask questions, and hear and express differing points of view. #8. LEARNING "I WANT TO LEARN SOMETHING NEW." Visitors (and their kids) come to learn something new, but they learn in different ways. It's important to know how visitors learn, and access their knowledge and interests. Controlling distractions (like crowds, noise and information overload) helps them, too. #9. CHOICE AND CONTROL "LET ME CHOOSE; GIVE ME SOME CONTROL." Visitors need some autonomy; freedom to choose, and exert some control, touching and getting close to whatever they can. They need to use their bodies and move around freely. #10. CHALLENGE & CONFIDENCE "GIVE ME A CHALLENGE I KNOW I CAN HANDLE." Visitors want to succeed. A task that's too easy bores them; too hard makes them anxious. Providing a wide variety of experiences will match their wide range of skills. #11. REVITALIZATION "HELP ME LEAVE REFRESHED, RESTORED." When visitors are focused, fully engaged, and enjoying themselves, time stands still and they feel refreshed: a "flow" experience that exhibits can aim to create. -1996 Judy Rand, "The 227 -Mile Museum, or, Why We Need a Visitors' Bill of Rights," Visitor Studies Association. Wargo Nature Center Master Plan - March 2015 Chapter 3: Existing Conditions & Needs 19