Abstract
<jats:p>Today, museums are increasingly regarded not only as sites for the preservation and representation of cultural objects and values but also as agents of social inclusion, guided in their work by principles of justice and human dignity. In the Russian context, particular attention is paid to working with people with various forms of disabilities, based on the principle of “nothing about us without us”. It encourages museums to engage individuals with diverse experiences not only as visitors but also as co-authors and initiators of projects. Such engagement, on the one hand, enables the development of projects that are relevant and meaningful to the audience and address specific practical needs; on the other hand, it raises a number of questions for museums regarding the optimal format of participation, evaluation of effectiveness, alignment of these programs with the proclaimed principles of inclusion, among others. All these issues form the basis of this article.</jats:p> <jats:p>The material for analysis comprises the results of implementing three practice-oriented courses for blind and visually impaired young people at the Moscow Cryptography Museum: “May I Have Your Autograph?”, “Route Planned!”, and a Basic Computer Literacy Course. All projects were conducted between autumn 2024 and autumn 2025, involving nearly 50 blind and visually impaired participants in total. More than 20 mentors and volunteers took part, with approximately equal representation of sighted and blind individuals. Despite differences in the content and structure of these three courses, several common features can be identified. These key principles underly the implementation of practice-oriented programs for blind people in a science and technology museum setting. These include a focus on the practical needs of the target audience; integration of activities within exhibitions to facilitate activity shifts and emotional enrichment; flexibility and creativity in the tools and approaches employed; participation and involvement of experience holders as mentors, educators, tutors, and guest lecturers; prolonged engagement in small groups; and, finally, orientation toward external audiences.</jats:p> <jats:p>Taken together, the experience of these projects demonstrates how museums can serve not only as venues for leisure but also as platforms for developing life skills among people with disabilities. Although these projects are not positioned as inclusive in the classical sense and target a single audience group, namely blind and visually impaired individuals, they make a direct systemic contribution to creating opportunities for full participation in all aspects of life based on respect for individual rights and dignity. Thus, they fully correspond to contemporary understandings of inclusion as a process of building a society in which people with diverse experiences can live on an equal footing.</jats:p>