Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse in Norfolk has recently redeveloped its workhouse galleries through the Voices from the Workhouse project, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The galleries now feature technology that allows visitors to “meet” real people from the workhouse’s history through sophisticated projections.
These projections often direct visitors to the next gallery and aid route finding and visitor flow. Although they have generally been well received, for some visitors they have the potential to cause sensory overload. We have recognised that there is now a greater need to make adjustments for autistic visitors.
To do this we have formed a close partnership with our local autism charity, Autism Anglia. With their assistance we have signed the Autism Alliance charter and are running training sessions for all staff and volunteers.
We will produce a visual story and test it with the help of Autism Anglia. A visual story allows visitors to plan, increase structure and reduce anxiety about their visit. This summer we will also pilot some early-bird openings, during which the projectors will be switched off.
People with autism often struggle with large groups of people, feel uncomfortable in unfamiliar environments and unwelcome in public places. Through these early bird events we hope to counter some of these fears and create a safe and inclusive environment.
Our hope is that early bird visitors will continue to explore Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse after the early bird opening hours.
Lauren Ephithite is the assistant curator at Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse
The galleries now feature technology that allows visitors to “meet” real people from the workhouse’s history through sophisticated projections.
These projections often direct visitors to the next gallery and aid route finding and visitor flow. Although they have generally been well received, for some visitors they have the potential to cause sensory overload. We have recognised that there is now a greater need to make adjustments for autistic visitors.
To do this we have formed a close partnership with our local autism charity, Autism Anglia. With their assistance we have signed the Autism Alliance charter and are running training sessions for all staff and volunteers.
We will produce a visual story and test it with the help of Autism Anglia. A visual story allows visitors to plan, increase structure and reduce anxiety about their visit. This summer we will also pilot some early-bird openings, during which the projectors will be switched off.
People with autism often struggle with large groups of people, feel uncomfortable in unfamiliar environments and unwelcome in public places. Through these early bird events we hope to counter some of these fears and create a safe and inclusive environment.
Our hope is that early bird visitors will continue to explore Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse after the early bird opening hours.
Lauren Ephithite is the assistant curator at Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse