Çiğdem Aslantaş

Çiğdem Aslantaş is an interior designer and entrepreneur who has been visiting museums around the world for the past 10 years, working on projects aimed at making museums more inclusive. She founded the social enterprise Bongo Art Project with the goal of making museums in Turkey accessible to everyone, including individuals with special needs such as the disabled, elderly, and children. One of the first implementations of this initiative was at the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, which was made accessible to visually impaired individuals, marking a first in Turkey in this field. In collaboration with “Hadi İşaret,” she also developed the “Sign Language Museum Art Dictionary” project, making the Ankara State Art and Sculpture Museum accessible for hearing-impaired individuals. Currently, Aslantaş is working on making the Republic Museum accessible to individuals with visual and hearing impairments, as well as children with Down syndrome and autism.

Aslantaş has received numerous national and international awards and recognition. She is also developing partnerships with museums in Europe. Her work on accessible museums has gained significant attention internationally and has been featured on various platforms. As of 2024, she has launched the Accessible Museums Archive Project in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, TED University, and Wikipedia Turkey, with the support of 14 non-governmental organizations. This project aims to assess the accessibility levels of museums in Turkey and create a comprehensive list.