PRESS RELEASES 
Dam's Interactive Exhibit is Accessible to Everyone
The Olympian
by Carol Maher, Barrier-Free Facilities Program Manager for Washington State
Take a trip to the Grand Coulee Dam visitor arrival center. Its motto, "Many Voices, One River," definitely includes people with disabilities.
You can take a virtual tour of the dam by jet pack and see the inner workings of the dam, fly over the dam or go under water. Grand Coulee Dam is a large hydroelectric dam located on the Columbia River in Central Washington. Made from 12 million cubic yards of concrete, Grand Coulee is the largest concrete structure in the United States and the third-largest hydroelectric dam in the world. The exhibits in the visitor center address the effects the dam has had on people and the environment. In the interactive exhibits, you can operate a jackhammer to understand how it feels to be on the dam and do it from a wheelchair.
An interactive game on a computer gives you the feeling of what it is like to operate the dam. Different scenarios are described, and you have to react to a flood, a break in the dam and a drought. You or a member of your family can pose for a picture in a deep sea diver's helmet and place your hands into the sleeves to understand the feeling of going underwater to work on the dam. Musical notes on the wall let you learn to play "Roll On Columbia" on the xylophone. This song was written by Woody Guthrie and describes the effort to harness the Columbia. The xylophone can be used even by people who cannot open and close their hands, as the exhibits are accessible and are designed to appeal to all ages.
The visitor center addresses the effects the dam has had on people, including Native Americans. Most of the exhibits are hands-on and can be used by people who use a wheelchair, have a small stature, are blind or are hard of hearing. Having one hand, I still could interact with every exhibit. I am looking forward to returning and trying the iPod audio description of the exhibits.
Formations Inc., of Portland, Ore., designed and fabricated the exhibits. Prior to the construction of the interactive exhibit, Wendy Christensen from the Pacific Northwest construction office of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and officials from Formations met or contacted people with a wide variety of disabilities to assist in the planning process. A panel including knowledgeable folks with mobility, hearing, speech and vision disabilities was consulted during the development process.
The exhibits incorporate most of the ideas presented. I saw everyone enjoying the accessible features, such as the larger handles on the generators and the question-and-answer boards that have covers that open with a hydraulic lift. When they close, it is silent rather than with the loud bang heard at other museums. The new assistive listening equipment, the virtual reality program, the stereoscopes at two different heights, the wrench and jackhammer that can be used from a wheelchair and the deep sea diver exhibit are innovative in their use of universal design. They are accessible to everyone!
There are a few items outside of the scope of this project that are not as accessible as they could be. The automatic door opener at the entrance is too close to the door. There is a half-inch threshold at the restroom door that makes access a little difficult, and it would be nice to have a curb cut closer to the front door. Even so, I know that if you want to learn about the dam, electricity, conservation efforts, irrigation, how the dam affected Native Americans, you can find this information and much more. As a person with a disability, you will be able to have an interactive experience.
This is kind of nice for a change. You will not feel left out.
Carol Maher, barrier-free facilities program manager for Washington state, is a member of The Olympian's Diversity Panel. She can be reached at cmaher@ga.wa.gov or by calling 360-902-7210.