The Grimaldi Forum has won Monaco’s 2025 Handipact Trophy, with judges highlighting the venue’s work making its summer ‘Colours!’ exhibition accessible to blind, deaf and disabled visitors.
Sylvie Biancheri, the Grimaldi Forum’s General Director, collected the award on 3rd December during the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Paralympic blind football champion Gaël Rivière, who now heads the French Handisport Federation, attended the ceremony.
Tactile displays added after visitor feedback
The award specifically recognised programmes developed for the Centre Pompidou exhibition between July and August. After hosting a tour for blind and visually impaired visitors organised by association ARRIMAGE on 22nd July, the Grimaldi Forum permanently added tactile 3D reproductions and Braille labels to the exhibition.
The tour had featured audio descriptions and an immersive space designed to help participants “feel and hear colours”. Following positive feedback, staff decided to make these accessibility features available to all visitors for the remainder of the exhibition’s run.
Several disability associations brought groups to specially designed visits. AMAPEI organised sensory exploration sessions for 15 participants on 21st July. Monaco Disease Power arranged tours combining visual and olfactory experiences for teenagers and young adults with Down syndrome on 23rd July. Happy Hand brought 12 participants with various disabilities for multisensory visits on 27th August.
Part of broader government initiative
The Handipact Trophy forms part of a wider government policy led by the Department of Social Affairs and Health to recognise organisations demonstrating strong commitment to accessibility. Government Counsellor-Minister Christophe Robino oversees the policy, with implementation by Disability Delegate Lionel Galfré.
The Grimaldi Forum already maintains ISO 14001 and ISO 20121 certifications and offers standard accessibility features including wheelchairs, connecting lifts, adapted restrooms and induction loops for hearing aid users. The venue developed the enhanced programmes for the summer exhibition with support from official partner CMB Monaco.
Biancheri said the award would encourage further development of inclusive programmes. “We firmly believe that culture must be accessible to everyone, without exception,” she said.
The recognition comes as Monaco pushes cultural institutions to go beyond minimum accessibility requirements, with the government encouraging venues to create tailored experiences for disabled visitors rather than simply ensuring physical access.
See also:
Interview: Gaël Rivière on sport as “a weapon of mass inclusion”
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Photo credit: Cassandra Tanti