Access from the Ground Up Evaluation Report

Funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Access from the Ground Up project at the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo (JMZ) seeks to better serve children with disabilities through a combination of partnerships with community, staff professional development and training, and the development of accessible STEM-focused exhibits and resources at the new JMZ facility, which opened in November 2021. This summative evaluation report seeks to answer the following evaluation questions:

• To what extent does the Access from the Ground Up project build or strengthen relationships with families with disabilities?
• How are accessibility elements used and understood?
• To what extent are people without disabilities aware of accommodations for families with disabilities? What are their reactions to the presence of these accommodations?
• To what extent have professional development, staff training, Super Family Sunday events, and the accessible exhibits and access resources influenced staff and volunteer attitudes, behaviors, and work practices?
• To what extent did partnering with provider organizations support the project, the participating organizations, and the team members?