The British Museum has long been committed to ensuring equal access for disabled audiences.
Our most recent development is to establish volunteer supported touch tours of the Egyptian Sculpture Gallery.
The gallery, which first opened in 1834, contains large-scale statues, columns and sculptures dating from 2600 BC. The touch tour is currently supported by Braille, and tactile drawings and large print guides, and a downloadable audio version of the tour.
However, in order to offer greatest access to the gallery for blind and partially sighted visitors, the decision was made to offer guided tours led by the museum’s volunteers.
We recently had our third training session for the team of volunteers who will be leading the tours. Previously they had received information to increase awareness around access issues and had also been trained by the gallery’s curator in the content of the tour, focusing on the history and features of the tour objects. The recent session explored how to assist blind and partially sighted visitors to experience the touch tour.
During the session, volunteers were able to put their learning into practice by guiding blind and partially sighted visitors, who had agreed to support training. Visitors were able to hear about and touch objects such as the statue of Amenhotep III – dating from about 1390-1352 BC.
There have been challenges along the way – the main one being that members of the public who are not on the tour are not allowed to touch the objects. Ensuring that staff in the galleries are aware of the touch tour has been vital.
Feedback about the training has been overwhelmingly positive from volunteers and visitors alike. The next step in the process will be to finalise arrangements for booking a volunteer-supported touch tour, which will be promoted to both existing and potential audiences. We will also evaluate the tour to ensure it meets the needs of the audience.
Selene Burn, the access and equality manager, British Museum
Francesca Goff, the volunteer coordinator, British Museum
Our most recent development is to establish volunteer supported touch tours of the Egyptian Sculpture Gallery.
The gallery, which first opened in 1834, contains large-scale statues, columns and sculptures dating from 2600 BC. The touch tour is currently supported by Braille, and tactile drawings and large print guides, and a downloadable audio version of the tour.
However, in order to offer greatest access to the gallery for blind and partially sighted visitors, the decision was made to offer guided tours led by the museum’s volunteers.
We recently had our third training session for the team of volunteers who will be leading the tours. Previously they had received information to increase awareness around access issues and had also been trained by the gallery’s curator in the content of the tour, focusing on the history and features of the tour objects. The recent session explored how to assist blind and partially sighted visitors to experience the touch tour.
During the session, volunteers were able to put their learning into practice by guiding blind and partially sighted visitors, who had agreed to support training. Visitors were able to hear about and touch objects such as the statue of Amenhotep III – dating from about 1390-1352 BC.
There have been challenges along the way – the main one being that members of the public who are not on the tour are not allowed to touch the objects. Ensuring that staff in the galleries are aware of the touch tour has been vital.
Feedback about the training has been overwhelmingly positive from volunteers and visitors alike. The next step in the process will be to finalise arrangements for booking a volunteer-supported touch tour, which will be promoted to both existing and potential audiences. We will also evaluate the tour to ensure it meets the needs of the audience.
Selene Burn, the access and equality manager, British Museum
Francesca Goff, the volunteer coordinator, British Museum