shifting perspectives...2011/04/20 · embodying this new vision of the 21st century museum. what i...

ShiftingPerspectivesOpening up museums andgalleries to blind and partiallysighted people

CultureLink

Shifting PerspectivesOpening up museums and galleries to blind andpartially sighted people

CultureLink

Published by RNIB, 105 Judd Street London WC1H 9NErnib.org.uk

Written by Zoë Partington-Sollinger and Amy Morgan.Copyedited by Matthew Gay.Printed by Hobbs the Printers.Designed by Rachel Dean, RNIB Publishing.Photography: RNIB credit Chris Smart Silva Productions.

Text and photographs © RNIB April 2011

For further copies of this book in print, braille or on audio CD, call 0121 665 4249 or [email protected] For a downloadable PDF or Wordversion of the book visit rnib.org.uk/culturelink

All rights reserved. No part of this book may bereprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by anyelectronic, mechanical or other means, now known orhereafter invented, including photocopying or recording,or in any information storage or retrieval system, withoutpermission in writing from the publishers.

Our grateful thanks to:

MLA for their funding and in particular, Vanessa Harbarand Isobel Siddons for their support and guidance.

The seven museums and galleries for their input andvaluable contributions, hosting workshops and ideas:The Pen Room Museum; Coventry Transport Museum;Hereford Cathedral and Museum; Hereford Museum andArt Gallery; Stoke-on-Trent Museums – GladstonePottery Museum and The Potteries, Nuneaton Museumand Art Gallery; Wolverhampton Museums – BantockHouse and Bilston Craft Gallery.

The many blind and partially sighted participants andvolunteers from across the West Midlands, including our two main blind and partially sighted ambassadorsMarian Edwards and Doreen Gibbons for their supportand input.

Marcus Weissen for his overview and preface for thepublication and many years of valuable experience.

Steph Vidal-Hall for her indepth evaluation.

Liz Porter and Shelley Boden for their input.

Hereford Photography Festival for the images in theirexhibition.

For RNIB, Amy Morgan, Zoë Partington-Sollinger, EmmaLincoln for her successful funding bid and work on theinitial pilot of the project, Eleanor Ellison, Alison Talbot,Cathy Davies and Gavin Griffiths for his valuablecontribution to new ways of using new technology.

Acknowledgements

Preface Shifting Perspectives and uppingthe game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Chapter 1 The real experience. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Chapter 2 Doing it differently . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Chapter 3 Case study: Hereford Museum and Art Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Chapter 4 Seeing more . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Chapter 5 Shaping the future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Chapter 6 Volunteering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Chapter 7 Marketing to blind and partially sighted people . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Chapter 8 Accessible information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Chapter 9 Approaches beyond accessibility. . . . . . 65

Further reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

5

Contents

The title Shifting Perspectives suggests that attitudematters. When we see things in a new way, changesfollow naturally.

The museum experience of disabled people is beginningto be talked of as a human and cultural right. Indeed,the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Personswith Disabilities, ratified by the UK in 2009, recognisesthe right of disabled people to take part in culture “onequal terms”. This is a major shift.

When we see rights where we previously saw a desirablebut dispensable add-on, big changes will begin tohappen. A world of opportunity will open up, sowingseeds of renewal across the board of museum practice:the design of text panels, touch tours of real culturalsignificance, exhibition design inclusive of people with alearning disability, deaf actors who present interpretiveinformation for all, easy to find access information andthe unfolding potential of multimedia for a sharedexperience for disabled people. Such myriad changes willeventually bring about the 21st Century Museum; a

museum for a new civility, a space for people to exploreas equals, in which responsiveness to one specificaudience nurtures design solutions for another and theelusive “public at large”.

Our day-to-day contribution as museum practitionersmay often seem to go unnoticed. Yet we can drawcomfort from the fact that it does contribute toembodying this new vision of the 21st Century Museum.What I say would certainly ring truer if departments forculture in the UK and elsewhere took a more energeticand strategic approach to disability equality in museums.So many of us keep needlessly reinventing the wheelyear on year because our governments don’t showstrategic commitment to support us managing, nurturingand sharing the sector’s knowledge.

Shifting Perspectives, seeing disabled people as part ofthe design solution and not the problem, will renewmuseums. As a museum collections officer bluntly said ata group interview, “If you don’t allow people access toyour collections, your museum will die.”

Preface 7

Preface – Shifting Perspectives and upping the game By Marcus Weisen

Clear focus, wide scope Shifting Perspectives is a user-focused report. That aloneis refreshing and there is learning to be unravelled. Thereport tells us, for example, that many blind and partiallysighted people still think that museums are not for them.And yet for the past twenty-odd years, I have seen somany museums willing to offer guided tours to blind andpartially sighted individuals and groups given a few daysor a couple of weeks advance notice. This facility canmake for many memorable experiences.

Unfortunately, very few museums mention this service intheir marketing materials. Very simple steps will helpmend this major communication fault line. Theinformation needs to get out there, on the web, at thereception desk and in local talking newspapers.

Shifting Perspectives gives us space to reflect on thevalue of touch. Is the touch taboo in our museums reallygrounded in proven scientific knowledge? Even someconservators are ready to chisel away at the stiflingnature of this unquestioned consensus. There isconsensus that audio description is a very potent andnecessary way to bring blind and partially sighted peoplein touch with collections and their stories. Yet I cannot

8 Preface

escape the suspicion that it is being used in more thanone museum as a smoke screen to deny tactile access tooriginal objects for totally blind people, for most ofwhom touch is the gateway to the museum experience.Let’s challenge and re-assess the touch taboo andjoyfully shift the boundaries where they can be shifted.

Shifting Perspectives does have good news for thesector. One of its most important findings is that trainingengenders a confident workforce. The 40 per cent ofvolunteers who had been nervous working with blindand partially sighted people prior to taking part intraining subsequently joined the 100 per cent of staffwho felt confident or very confident by the end oftraining. This adds weight to the MLA Disability Survey2002, which showed that organisations investing indisability training were three times more likely to scorewell in disability access than those who did not. Trainingcan produce a dynamic shift.

The report acknowledges that staff often know so muchalready. Training helps draw out the knowledge andframe it. When it comes to audio description (a rathermystifying technical term for one of humanity’s oldestskills), touch tours and handling objects, so manycurators, conservators and educators know their objects

inside-out. And part of that knowledge has beenendowed with the rich sensory vocabulary of materialculture. Great skills and knowledge come into play here.Description and exploring by touch are a natural meetingground for museum professionals and blind and partiallysighted audiences. The knowledge of basic guidelines,such as those of Art Education for blind people (goingback to 1996, alas) and audio description training canbring all this knowledge into focus.

Preface 9

Challenge of sustainabilityHow can we make services, resources and knowledgesustainable in a world of dwindling resources? How canwe make affordable improvements? Publicising accessinformation, building access into house style andreviewing the assumptions of restrictive policies are buta few examples of affordable changes. Training costs, butit is a sound investment.

A step-by-step, cumulative approach will always work. Amuseum that provides online audio description of tenobjects year by year for five years will end up with anappreciable accessible web collection. In the process, themuseum will develop and test skills and knowledge. Thiscan be documented and made available to new staff. Idon’t see why larger museums shouldn’t develop asecond and third touch tour to break out of thesuffocating limitations of choice blind and partiallysighted visitors face. You can bet that a satisfied visitorwill make a repeat visit. A wider accessible cultural offermakes the offer sustainable. The joy of a repeat visit is aright most of us enjoy. Why refuse it to disabled people?

And yes, sustainability can only be achieved through anorganisation-wide approach championed from the top.

10 Preface

Access for disabled people needs to be within the scriptof every project and tender brief and in every budget.This is the trigger for small miracles of access.

A shared experience of museums,galleries and heritage is a rightThough Shifting Perspectives focuses on tailoredactivities for groups, the report neatly sizes up the wholechallenge:

“If they [museums] were completely independentlyaccessible from the front door until you are ready toleave, it would mean I could just drop into a museum if Ihad a free afternoon – go in, by myself, and come outagain an hour later, walk home and just be able toreflect.”

The possibility of an impromptu visit offersimprovisational dreamtime. It adds hugely to the qualityof our lives. It is part of the museum experience.

Our minds have an awkward tendency to concentrate onlimitations first. Take the Victoria and Albert Museum asan example, or indeed, the majority of all museums.Making these spaces entirely accessible for independentvisits by blind and partially sighted people is

inconceivable. They are far too complex and the availableresources too finite. Yet, by shifting perspectives we willbegin to contemplate the full scope of what is possible.We can aim to get as close as possible to theunachievable – take it as our guide, spur and inspiration.“Inclusive design” is a work in progress. Yet, it istransformative. How can optimal conditions for anindependent museum experience be created for visitorswho are blind, partially sighted, deaf, hard of hearing,have a learning difficulty, have a mobility difficulty or aresimply older?

There are many strategies to optimise orientation andthese can be fitted seamlessly into the overall design.Confident staff who are available to welcome theimpromptu visitor and meet their support needs help toovercome remaining barriers. Can staff meet someone atthe bus stop? Last, but not least, how enticing isintellectual access to the collections and to the wholeexperience?

The little known Council of Europe Recommendation“R(92)6” called on governments and local culturalorganisations to “develop comprehensive access policiesand plans to bring significant and lasting improvementsfor all people with disabilities”. The recommendation

Preface 11

dates back to 1992. It went wholly unnoticed bydepartments for culture and local museums.

The UN Convention sets a utopian, aspirational goal. Itrecognises “access on equal terms” as a right. Sure, 100per cent intellectual access to collections will never existfor blind and partially sighted people. There are simplynot enough resources and the exercise might turn out tobe pointless.

The UN Convention and the Council of EuropeRecommendation call on us to reflect on the possiblemeanings of “access on equal terms” and “significantand lasting improvements”. And, of course, it calls on usto develop action after reflection.

My belief is that we need to anchor these discussions inthe context of the whole museum experience and thesignificance of the collections.

It is simply not right that national museums, with theirimmeasurable wealth of collections, only provide a touchtour (often incorporating only the crumbs of collections)for blind and partially sighted visitors. Similar reflectionsapply, of course, to smaller museums.

The move towards equality requires considerableexperience and insights into what makes a place andcollection memorable. The concept of “representativecross section” may be of use. What is memorable in thevenue itself or in its spatial design is barely evermediated to blind and partially sighted visitors.

If, for argument’s sake, all major museums in London,Paris, New York (to give but a few salient examples)provided several quality touch tours, internationalcultural tourism by blind and partially sighted peoplecould finally take off. This was the aim of “EuropeanCities within Reach”, a project initiated in 1991 by RNIB.Progress has been dismal and this has much to do with alack of a national strategic vision at government level.

As so often happens, progress starts from the bottomup. But governments need to take responsibility for theinternational policies they have signed up to, as well asnational disability legislation to which they are subject.This is the message of the “In Touch with Art” Resolutionon equal access to museums for blind and partiallysighted people. 144 delegates from 22 countries,museum professionals and blind and partially sighted

12 Preface

people, passed the Resolution on 13 October 2010 atthe V&A, at the end of the “In Touch with Art”Conference organised by St Dunstan’s – a nationalcharity serving blind ex-service men and women and theEuropean Blind Union. It was presented at European Dayof People with Disabilities in Brussels on 3 December, oninvitation by the European Commission.

When we see rights where we previously saw a chore, bigchanges will begin to happen. A world of opportunitywill open up, sowing seeds of renewal across the boardof museum practice. Wherever you work, whatever yourrole, you can play a part in building the Museum of the21st Century.

Marcus Weisen

Marcus is St Dunstan’s “In Touch with Art” ContentDirector. He is Director of the Jodi Mattes Trust foraccessible digital culture www.jodiawards.org.uk Hewas RNIB Arts Officer (1987-2002) and MLA DisabilityAdviser (2002-2007). The “In Touch with Art”Resolution and Marcus’s European talk can be foundat www.st-dunstans.org.uk/itwa

Preface 13

“Barriers can be intellectual as well as physical.These imperceptible barriers, often placed in theway of blind and partially sighted people by others,are far more complex and discriminatory than wefirst thought. But with planning, insight andunderstanding, they can either be removed orsuccessful solutions can be developed. However, it is paramount that they are addressed in astrategic, manageable and inclusive manner.” Zoë Partington-Sollinger, CultureLink

RNIB exists to challenge intellectual barriers andCultureLink has been an important step towards meetingthat challenge. The remit of the 12-month programmewas to study key areas in which people with sight lossaccess arts and culture leading up to significant eventssuch as the 2012 Cultural OIympiad. Many barriers stillexist for blind and partially sighted people, maintainedby those who are unaware of the impact of exclusion.The CultureLink legacy aims to go beyond 2012 andcreate inclusion in all aspects of the museum and gallery sector, including venues, collections, websites,workshops, employment and attitudinal discrimination.

Working collaboratively to address and understand theneeds of a select group has had some surprising results.A number of the programme’s key partners have openedup their collections to remove barriers and discriminatorypractice, not only enhancing their venues, but alsoallaying any fears and negative assumptions the staffand participants may have had. More significant is theimprovement in cultural access for blind and partiallysighted people, along with many other benefits.

One of the functions of Shifting Perspectives is to offeran insight into the experiences, discussions and learningthat took place during the programme. It is not aboutrevealing the perspective of the blind but aboutcollaborative thinking and a different approach toinclusive and considered access. It is about findinginnovative ways to ensure blind and partially sightedpeople know what is available and can benefit from it.

With the help of seven different museums and gallerieswe have explored ways to provide a service that benefitseveryone. The following chapters will give you a flavourof the breadth of ideas and suggestions from all involved.

Introduction 15

Introduction

The responses of blind and partially sighted people areparamount to evoking change and innovation inthinking. Losing your sight inevitably changes yourexperience of visiting a museum, gallery or cathedral,and it can often be unclear what’s on offer. But withimprovements, the whole experience for visitors withsight loss can be enticing, intriguing and informative.

Our research has been extremely comprehensive and hasprovided a valuable insight into real users’ experiences,particularly on issues such as audio description,wayfinding and information access, along with marketingto and engaging blind and partially sighted audiences.Many of the ideas in this publication can be adapted toyour own in-house style and new projects.

Staff in seven museums across the West Midlands haveoffered their unique perspective and considerableexpertise to shape the CultureLink project, and thetraining we provided gave them a greater understandingof sight loss and the positive impact of skill sharing.Communication between museums, galleries, RNIB andblind and partially sighted people is crucial to improving

the museum experience. Amongmany skills, staff have learnedhow carefully considered audiodescription can give visitorsinformation about the buildingand its facilities, as well asexplaining the significance ofwhat’s on display.

CultureLink has worked with each of the venues tocreate activity days for blind and partially sightedvisitors. Our aim is to use the feedback from theparticipants to improve what’s on offer. Like theOlympics, this project wants to leave a long-term legacy,so this book has been produced to be shared with othermuseums and art galleries throughout the UnitedKingdom.

But the people making the real impact are the blind andpartially sighted participants who have shared theirexperiences. These interviews are a great chance to heara blind user’s perspective on their journey into culturaland heritage sites.

The real experience 17

Chapter 1 – The real experience

Telling it how it isTucked away in a tiny room behind Hereford Cathedral, a focus group of blind and partially sighted people werehard at work, sharing opinions about how an accessibleexhibition should work. In this handling session,members of the group were touching, feeling anddescribing various materials.

“Feminine and she’s representing wind or something…”

“Her hair is going back – to me it’s hair anyway.And a lovely long neck. But she’s got nofeatures.”

“There are other kinds of things happening here.”

“The veins. Too many veins!”

But getting up close isn’t something you can do justanywhere, as one member of the group explains:

“When you go into these places you often can’ttouch – particularly in art galleries. You want to getup nearer the painting to see it and they send youback. I’ve been told off time and time again.”

Dominic Harbour, Head of Communications at HerefordCathedral and Museum is keen to give blind and partiallysighted people access to the richness of experiences thecathedral can offer.

“For a long time we’ve had this idea that we’d liketo create an exhibition which told the history ofthe cathedral and the development of artistic style.We wanted to give people a flavour of the building

18 The real experience

and make something that would be of interest toblind and partially sighted visitors.

We’ve got a really brilliant focus group whorepresent young people, older people, people whohave experience of creative work, whether it’sstudents in ceramics or people who have beenpainters previously. And all have varying partialsight or blindness.

What we need is for them to tear apart how farwe’ve got already. We want them to tell us what’sworking, and throw up some ideas about differentways that we might be able to present information.We want to know how we might convey things thatare truly difficult to interpret, like the size of thecathedral building, what it’s like to be in it and howyou can present that in a tactile way. It’s reallyexciting just how outside of the box this thinking is.”

CultureLink is keen to encourage museums to use theexpertise of people with sight loss, not just at one-offevents but also as volunteers. One such volunteer, Doug,leads group tours around Hereford Cathedral,introducing blind and partially sighted visitors to the

abundant ornate carvings and tactile sensations. After completing the tour, one member of the group told us:

“I taught art for 26 years and lost my sight almostfive years ago. It felt like I was losing sustenancefor life itself. I’ve been on a journey for the last fewyears and learnt a lot about sight. To touch thingsis always a privilege and touching those ancientchests and the facsimile of the chained books –that’s a really lovely way into experiencing thelibrary that you can’t access totally through sight.

The CultureLink project has got enormouspotential for all visitors. This group comes with aterrific range of expertise with so much tocontribute. The initiative is really challenging and Ithink it’s going to produce some very unexpectedresults. It would be wonderful to think of otherplaces being able to pick up on some of the ideas.”

The vast majority of our participants told similar stories.The project has given them the enthusiasm to try newthings and an alternative perspective on the world that isof huge benefit to everyone. We asked many questionsand received some enlightening answers.


CultureLink has opened many doors to local blindand partially sighted visitors about venues that areliterally on their doorstep. Yvonne, one of theblind visitors, shares her thoughts andexperiences:

Why is “having a go” so important? What impactdoes that have on you?

“I like proving that blind people can do everything.And why shouldn’t blind people do everything? Itis important to involve blind and partially sightedpeople because it can become very isolating. Youcan stop going out and you start to feel very alone.Having a go keeps the brain active. Keeps me outof trouble.”

“People don’t see visual impairment; it is an invisibledisability and people honestly don’t know how totreat it. They say, ‘Did you see the TV last night?’then think ‘Ah, shouldn’t have said that’. I still say,‘I watched X Factor last night’. Plus, the volunteersare also learning how to deal with people withsight loss. Everything is a learning curve foreverybody. We are living in a sighted world, justcoping with it our way. So you haven’t to be afraid;we are all doing it our own way.”

What made you think the volunteers were stilllearning? And was there any way they could haveimproved how they supported you?

“They told us they were all newbies! We said we hadbroken in the newbies! They’d had the basic ‘howto’ guide but I just said ‘describe it’ and that iswhat they were doing. The fact that they were justbeing themselves, wanting to be there for peoplelike us, was wonderful. I am still learning to beblind and people will always be learning aboutvisual impairment.”

What was good about the events at Bantock HouseMuseum and Bilston Craft gallery?

“I didn’t even know Bantock House existed and Ilive in Wolverhampton. But the people there weregreat and I learnt a lot about the property and thelife of the family that had lived there previously.We were allowed to handle the old dolls – one wasover 200 years old. You imagine how it must havebeen loved and you start to wonder about thefeelings of the child who had the doll. I learnt thatdolls were collected back then like they are now,and you wonder how that life was so different to ours.”

20 The real experience

“Another day we were allowed to handle kitchenimplements. We even did a 40’s day, which I amnot old enough to know about but it was greatlearning about the fashions and about how the waraffected people in Wolverhampton.”

What difference does being able to do that make?

“I feel part of the community. When you can’t touchthings you feel cut off from normal life. We arenormal, we just cannot see! I learnt a lot from theactivities and had a lot of fun. It was good beingwith people who could explain it because it wastheir field. And they described it in a way we couldunderstand and had fun with it.”

What makes a really good audio description?

“Giving all the information and making it fun aswell, not just monotone. When you can tell thatsomeone is really living it and enjoying what theyare telling us, you can hear their enjoyment and itis catching. You get more engrossed in it and youtake more in.”

What would most motivate you to make more visitsto museums?

“Knowing that there is going to be some help there.Getting the information and just being treated as a‘normal person’ but with that little bit of tweakingof help that is required for looking at exhibits. I amme first and blindness is just a part of me. Theperson is the big part, not the blindness.”

Finally, is there one story that highlights the impactthat getting access to museums would have on you?

“I was at Bilston Gallery going around touchingsome of the exhibits. One was absolutely fantastic– there were so many textures and feelings andshapes. I stood there for about 15 minutes andeach time you went over it you found somethingdifferent. They said my face was a picture because I was, ‘Ooh, I’ve found something different’, youknow? It was brilliant to feel because a sightedperson may not have taken in all of that. It was justa discovery.”


CultureLink’s prime objective is to open up debate andnew possibilities: to share thinking, learning andprogramming from an alternative perspective. Inclusionis not a luxury, but a catalyst for change that can offeroptimum access and innovative ways of working withnew audiences. For curators, education staff andmuseums to create greater access, along withprogrammes that respond positively to the needs ofblind and partially sighted visitors, it is vital theyunderstand the impact of sight loss. Throughout theprogramme we offered this understanding in a numberof ways.

Firstly, we provided visual awareness training to embedthe common principles of sight loss. Being partiallysighted, and with 20 years experience in this field, thetrainer was able to address familiar fears andassumptions through a dialogue of equals and practicalexercises. By leading museum staff through an importantstage of “learning by doing” and allowing time forfeedback and reflection, this training increased the felt knowledge of the impact that intellectual access can have.

Doing it differently 23

Chapter 2 – Doing it differently

The second phase was to back up the training byspending time in creative workshops with blind andpartially sighted people. These activities provided avaluable opportunity to hear different perspectives.Many of the participants had been professionals all theirlives prior to losing their sight and they had incredibleskills and creativity to offer. What CultureLink has shownis that mutual trust promotes openness towardsdeveloping solutions together, and it is clear that theworkshops gave staff at the venues a far deeper insightthan training alone could offer. Repositioning futureworkshops as a means for venues to reinvigorate theirpractice would encourage positive engagement all round.

One major success of the CultureLink project was inproviding an improved service for a broader range ofvisitors. Even where there was a will and initiatives werealready in place, the project made a significantdifference by bringing staff and blind and partiallysighted people together to share knowledge and learnfrom each other. It may sound simplistic but how manyof us actually embrace this properly and activelychallenge our own assumptions about inclusion?

“Whenever we talk about intellectual access, peopleautomatically assume you mean trivialise. Butremember, when we first started doing audiodescription, one of the curators said, ‘That groupwere the most intellectually challenging I have everhad’, because people were asking questions andwere constantly trying to get to the bottom ofwhat was meant.” Group interview

And where there was already a will, knowledge andexperience, the project still had an impact.

“It has been a stimulus that has made me wake upfrom my stupor. Before, I had the thoughts, butsometimes you just need a kick up the backside toget going.” Museum staff

Coventry Transport Museum was initially interested inopening up tactile opportunities but chose instead todevelop a photographic activity for their workshop. Thismay seem an odd decision but what transpired was anopportunity for blind and partially sighted people to gainsome key skills in photography, proving that even if youlose your sight you don’t have to abandon everything

24 Doing it differently

visual. Historically, artists with sight issues havecontinued to use visual mediums to develop their work:Impressionists Claude Monet and Vincent Van Gogh;British painter JMW Turner, who was myopic; Degas,Rembrandt and El Greco to name but a few.

Blind and partially sighted participants were initiallysceptical about the relevance of photography but thissoon changed. The activity opened up a discourse thatgenerated a deeper level of understanding about thepower of images to trigger memories. The workshop’sexperiential format seemed key in helping museums andgalleries engage with their audiences, learn about otherperspectives and develop a more informed insight intowhat they can offer to blind and partially sighted visitors.

“The positive responses from participants made usthink in much more detail about what the museumcan offer in the future and the different kinds ofprojects we can undertake to benefit wideraudiences, not just blind and partially sightedpeople. Learning that taking photos can be just asmeaningful to someone who is blind or partiallysighted as it would be to a sighted person wasinvaluable.”Naomi Wilcox, Coventry Transport Museum


Recalling what is captured in a photograph is a fantasticinsight into opening up what can seem to be just asimple visual record, but is really much more about acontinuing opportunity to capture and experience apoint in time. And this shared collective process is ofbenefit to everyone.

“A blind participant explained he would showsomebody a photo, they could tell him what theyare seeing in that photo and then he can recountall the memories of that moment. For example, hesaid he had been on holiday recently and there is aphoto of him and his partner on a balcony there atthe hotel on a Turkish evening. He said how Turkishevenings feel different to British evenings.Recounting that evening made him remember howthat feels and he can re-live that experience withthe person he is showing the photo to.”Naomi Wilcox, Coventry Transport Museum

The participant took some high quality photos on hisphone at the museum and gave them all titles. Whenrecalling the title he will remember everything heexperienced at the time: what he was touching, feeling,hearing and maybe smelling. More importantly, he canhave a discussion with a museum professional in which a

whole new world can be explored and understood. Theworkshop culminated in a show of the participants’images, leaving the museum inspired to think differentlyand the participants with a new enthusiasm forphotography as a creative medium.

“They thought that they could not sharephotographs with other people and familymembers anymore but some of the older ladiesbegan to realise that they could; that all thesecollections of family photos, they could get themout of the attic or back bedroom and maybeenlarge them using computer technology andactually not throw them away. They could engagewith their grandchildren in a much moremeaningful way, using digital cameras. Things likethat were just fantastic because it was in such ashort amount of time that their thinking hadchanged.” Amy Morgan, CultureLink

Museum staff also believed that blind and partiallysighted visitors had a powerful voice. They felt changeswere more likely to be made in response to visitorfeedback. Putting participants at the centre,

26 Doing it differently

and further positioning this project as an opportunity formuseums to develop their services in consultation withblind and partially sighted people might also equipvisitors with the skills and motivation to offerconstructive feedback to venues.

“The only way things get done is if a visitor makes acomplaint and then suddenly it is on the agenda.Once people who don’t work here start raisingthese points and being a bit vocal about it, that’swhen it starts to have a flashing light about it.Believe me, when mobilised, blind and partiallysighted people speak as one voice and you do tendto get results.”Group interview

If we explode the assumption that “collections are forlooking at” and delve deeper into the idea thatcollections are for capturing and sharing cultural andintellectual life, we see some profound impacts. We notonly increase access for a wide variety of groups, weincrease the relevance of museums and galleries, whichin turn re-invigorates and protects our cultural heritage.This ability to access one’s personal heritage and toreconnect with family is profound and must lead to alessening of social isolation.

“One lady did say that she’d put a camera on herChristmas list now. And to see to how delightedshe was, saying she did not want the day to end,and that she could carry on around the museum foranother couple of hours was the absolute highlightof my day.” Naomi Wilcox, Coventry Transport Museum


As well as raising awareness of accessibility issues, theproject with Hereford Museum and Art Gallery presenteda unique opportunity to experiment with moderntechnology by designing a mobile phone application toenhance the museum and gallery experience for blindand partially sighted visitors. The “TWENTY” exhibition,part of the 2010 Hereford Photography Festival, waschosen as the focus of the project.

Here, Katherine Andrew, Principal Heritage Officer at theMuseum Resource and Learning Centre outlines theproject and its outcomes and gives us her perspective.

“The CultureLink project offered the chance toupdate our skills, train a wider group of staff andvolunteers and extend the understanding of blindand partially sighted visitors’ interpretation toexhibitors working with us on temporaryexhibitions. This opportunity allowed us to reallyinnovate, experiment and get our message aboutinclusiveness and access to a wider audience.”

Project

1. Working with Field of Vision, a local mediaconsultancy, to create a mobile phone App linked tothe “TWENTY” exhibition.

In terms of timescale, creating the App was the mostchallenging element of the project. The basic conceptwas to provide an audio guide with images, but itneeded a navigation system straightforward enough toallow a blind or partially sighted person to move througha variety of screens with ease. Despite initial misgivings,testing with non-specific content showed that threesimple buttons (forwards, backwards and home) workedmost effectively and convinced us that the design wasworth pursuing.

The next step was to develop the content and createaudio descriptions. These were recorded and edited bymuseum staff, converted into MP3 files and linked toimages from the catalogue provided by the Photographyfestival. Once the exhibition was hung, the content ofthe App could then be arranged in order.

Case study: Hereford Museum and Art Gallery 29

Chapter 3 – Case study: Hereford Museum and Art Gallery

2. Training in programming a T3 and creating tactileimages.

A T3 (talking tactile tablet) is a touch-sensitive, multi-sensory device. Using swell paper to create 3D surfaceoverlays, the T3 provides audio feedback when theoverlays are pressed. Blind and partially sighted peoplecan use the device to interpret visual data, such asdiagrams, charts and maps. Audio zones can have up to10 layers of audio per image, making a huge amount ofinformation accessible through touch and sound.

The T3 was developed at the Royal National College forthe Blind in Hereford in conjunction with a US softwarecompany and in 2005 Hereford Museum and Art Gallerybecame the first in the UK to invest in the technology.However, due to staff turnover, we have lost the capacityto create tactile images and this training offered awonderful opportunity to reacquaint ourselves with thattechnology.

30 Case study: Hereford Museum and Art Gallery

3. Interpretive skills training for museum andHereford Photography Festival staff and volunteers.

Training was provided by RNIB using the h.Art OpenExhibition at our gallery as a starting point. Working inpairs, we covered the varied nature and types of sightloss before moving on to audio descriptions. We thencreated original descriptions for five of the images in theexhibition catalogue.

4. Field testing the App, audio descriptions, the T3overlays and guiding skills, followed by time spentwith collections in store.

The final session of the project involved a workshop tourof the Museum Resource and Learning Centre. Thiscentre houses the 100,000-strong reserve collectionsand was designed to provide easy public access to storedcollections.

Standard procedure for tours is to have groupscomprising ten visitors and two collections of stafffollowing a standard route through the four largeststores. We normally ask groups about areas of specialinterest so we can make a point of looking at relatedobjects. Tours generally last between one and two hours.

For this visit, the ratio of staff to visitors was one-to-oneand visitors were issued with surgical gloves so thattouching was possible.

OutcomesOur developers encountered some technical hitches withthe App technology, which limited us to Apple productsrather than a wider range of 3G devices. Indeed, it maybe better for us to offer exhibition guides asdownloadable MP3 files from our website, although thisproject did give us the freedom to try something that wesimply would not otherwise have had the money to do.Nevertheless, the experience was invaluable in provingthat with a range of interpretative assistance andtechnology, it is more than possible for blind andpartially sighted people to enjoy a photographyexhibition. Although staff are used to writinginterpretative material, converting it into audiodescription necessitated some re-thinking and refiningof techniques, but ultimately the results were very wellreceived.

We also received very positive feedback from our T3testers. Visitors were able to explore the interpretationsindependently and at their own pace – something that


blind and partially sighted people rarely have the chanceto do. It was a big confidence booster and the responseconfirms the importance of our continued investment inthis technology.

Thanks to the interpretive training, staff now have agreater understanding of all forms of sight loss. Theprocess taught them about creating spatial awarenessfrom audio clues and gave them significantly moreconfidence in describing and guiding blind and partiallysighted visitors around our sites. So much so that wehave now taken on a six-month commitment to host ablind person as a Positive Action Trainee within ourservice.

Much of the experience for our blind and partiallysighted visitors was filled with the varying sounds, smellsand feel of the storage areas. Two are very large spaceswith ceilings about 5m high, filled with metal racking. Incontrast, the natural history store is much more compactwith a strong smell of mothballs. Over a two-hourperiod, visitors were guided through the differentcollections and allowed to handle material. Some evenclimbed up into an open Victoria carriage that had beenin use until the mid-1960s by a Hereford GP for hisrounds.

Items as diverse as a Bully Beef tin opener and a lionskull were enthusiastically received, and whileexperiences differed between those who had had somesight and others who had very little, visitors enjoyedenhanced sensations of smell, sound and atmospherethat we were also delighted to rediscover. Facilitatingthis form of access required good description skills onthe part of the museum staff, confidence to pick outsuitable items to handle, a willingness to allow accessand careful guidance on how to handle items. Access onthis level would not have been possible in our previousstores and it was a joy to see it being deliveredeffectively.

Staff and volunteers from across our service, from thePhotography Festival and the wider Cultural Servicesteam who were involved in this project very muchenjoyed working together with staff and students fromRNIB and RNC. The Hereford Photography Festival teamare keen to work with us in this area next year and wewill seek in future to ensure that interpretation is onoffer in all types of exhibitions.

Katherine Andrew FMA PACR

32 Case study: Hereford Museum and Art Gallery

ConclusionWhat is required is balance. It was clear from some of theactivity days during the CultureLink project that curatorswere being forced to question their instincts. During onehandling session, participants began touching someparticularly fragile items. Torn between preservation andequal opportunities, the curator had given the mattersome thought and swayed towards allowing access. Yetimmediately, her principles and responsibilities werechallenged and a look of concern appeared on her face.

Given these items had never been handled by thegeneral public, it was a rare and unforgettable momentfor these participants, if a somewhat nerve-wracking onefor the curator. While it is great to have layers of accessfor everyone, audio and verbal descriptions of an item,tactile models and maybe handling a separate piece ofmaterial used in its production could all add to theexperience without jeopardising the integrity of thepiece. Tate Modern has created replica sections ofpaintings to give blind and partially sighted peopleaccess to the artists’ techniques and the feel of canvasand paint.

CultureLink aims to improve access for blind and partiallysighted people but we are realistic and understand that

some exhibits and collections are delicate and theirpreservation is paramount. Still, it is crucial thatcollections are not hidden away and that their history,story and significance leave a lasting legacy and energisediscussions and understanding in the present. What wesuggest is that curators and museum staff think aboutaccess in a more holistic and creative way using newtechnology and new methods of engagement.Collections should be opened up, but opened up withcaution as we all wish for these precious pieces to beavailable to everyone for many years to come. One ofour participants was very excited about the idea of usinghaptic technology to gain more tactile access. This seemsa very interesting way forward as delicate and historicartefacts could potentially be touched virtually byeveryone.

“It would be unfair and unrealistic of us to tellmuseum curators that the way forward is to allowcomplete access for all to their collections. Werespect that for preservation purposes certainmaterials, objects and exhibits cannot and shouldnot be overly handled. All the blind and partiallysighted participants on the CultureLink projectunderstood and respected this.” Amy Morgan, CultureLink


One of the most positive features of the CultureLinkprogramme has been the opportunity to broadeneveryone’s thinking, fire up discussion and gain aninsight into how we can all work towards a moreinclusive offer.

Workshops and tours that provide physical contact withworks of art, audio descriptions of paintings and a moreinvolved experience of the buildings themselves can beincredible catalysts for conversation and intrigue. In oureveryday lives we often overlook the positive effects ofspending time understanding the lives of others. Yet, thechance to reflect through seemingly simple activitiesallows us also to learn about and understand ourselves.

Seeing goes far beyond mere observation: it can offer amuch deeper and more fundamental approach tounderstanding. With the support of everyone involved,from the seven museums and galleries to all of theparticipants, CultureLink has shown that inclusion can beoffered on many levels and this is paramount to keepingthe nation’s collections alive, relevant and fascinating.

In this chapter we hear from one of our participants, whotaught art for 26 years but lost her sight five years ago.Marian is passionate about retaining access to museumsand galleries for all visitors.

“Four blind and partially sighted visitors spent a dayat the Barber Institute of Fine Art, BirminghamUniversity in the company of three volunteerguides, one of them also partially sighted. A shortexplanation accompanying the exploration of aselection of objects literally opened our eyes toseeing more.

We spent time looking closely at an ancient Persianlimestone fragment of a spear bearer. Withmagnifiers we noticed the fine craftsmanship; thedelight in pattern, stylized coils for the beard andhair, a small earring, the almond shaped eye andlong delicate fingers. An animated terracotta bustconveyed the complex inner life of the poetAlexander Pope and hinted at his struggle withfailing health, while a neo-classical sculpture of a

Seeing more 35

Chapter 4 – Seeing more

‘society beauty’ – her eyes lowered and herexpression demure as she fingered the fabric at herbreast – was linked to stories about her life. Asighted guide pointed out some tiny repetitive dotsindicating a woven pattern barely visible to thehuman eye, causing one visitor to remark how it‘beautifully evoked the transparency of fine muslinfabric’.

‘At first you look and it’s a blur and then with anexplanation you see much more’, said one visitor.Another agreed, ‘Points of interest were only reallynoticed when a detailed explanation was given’.Much of the difficulty and frustration experiencedwith sight loss can be overcome and we gainimpetus and enthusiasm from each other.

From sculptures of the 18th and 19th centuries,including work by Auguste Rodin and Edgar Degas,we went much further back in time to MiddleKingdom Egypt and the exhibition ‘Sacred andProfane’. Small-scale objects would challenge eventhose with good sight and one partially sightedvisitor said it would not have been any goodwithout discussion. Another said it brought to lifeobjects that she could barely see.

36 Seeing more

Enlarged reproductions made visible the subject ofa faience pectoral and a raised line drawingexposed the naturalistic details of a funerary boatwith its oars and rowlock. Objects seemed lessmystifying as we realised the sculptures invariablystood in for the thing itself.

Two visitors were enchanted by the brilliant bluefaience chalices and the stylish designs inspired bythe lotus flower opening at dawn each day. Wetalked about the ancient ceramic material whichpreceded glazed ceramics by thousands of yearsand we looked at a cosmetic spoon depicting amusician playing in the papyrus reeds – a populargenre in Egyptian Art, symbolising what wasreferred to as ‘making oneself a happy day’. Raisedline drawings made it easier to grasp detailsdifficult for the naked eye to see and the purposeand function of each object became clearer.

The museum experience is something none of uswants to give up. Objects don’t move in a museum;if you can get close up with the aid of magnifier,audio-guide, or sighted companion you can comeclose to appreciating things as sighted people do.Galleries are actually more sympathetic

environments for blind and partially sighted peoplethan much of the outside world and they offer acondensed experience – one that enriches andinspires.

Looking requires enormous effort now and much issimply not feasible. But the insights that aregained are invigorating and sustaining. One visitorwith severe sight loss on his first visit to a galleryput it perfectly; ‘Museums are places for theimagination’.”

Marian Edwards, 2011

Seeing more 37

“If you don’t allow people access to yourcollections, your museum will die.” Collections Officer, Participating Museum

After receiving training in sight loss awareness, guiding,audio description and tactile image making by the RNIBtrainers, museum and gallery staff, with the support oftrained RNIB volunteers, led tailored interactiveactivities. Participants provided feedback which gave riseto far reaching outcomes that would not have beenpossible without this project. Improving culturalparticipation for blind and partially sighted people in theregion also enabled participating museums to improvetheir services overall. One member of museum staff saidthat along with noticing a marked increase in bookings,the project had given her a fresh perspective on howmany other groups’ needs might be met by initiativesdesigned for blind and partially sighted participants.

“The photography workshop won’t remain assomething just for blind and partially sightedpeople – that was a really great starting point but Ithink we would be able to extend it to other

groups. We have a lot of older visitors on coachtours and I don’t think we do anything specific forthem. There is nothing on offer.”Museum staff

In some museums, excitement generated by theseinitiatives has spread to different departments, leadingto the set-up of a museum-wide Access Group, furtherincreasing sustainability and decreasing the barriersexperienced by people with sight loss. But not all ofthese barriers exist on the part of the museums. Some ofthem relate to blind and partially sighted people’sperceptions of museums.

“There is a whole psychological kind of barrier thatpartially sighted people tend to have that it [themuseum] is not for them, and I suppose I amhoping that we can overcome that. I think to someextent we have started and now we can build onthat initial thrust and take it forwards.”Museum staff

The CultureLink project has shown that existing museumand gallery staff already possess the necessary skills to

Shaping the future 39

Chapter 5 – Shaping the future

improve access. This is particularly encouraging as itsuggests that not only can increased access be achievedusing existing resources, it also has the added benefit ofdeveloping the professional integrity of the staff. Whenquestioned, museum staff chose further training as theresource most likely to improve their venue.

“The highest point for us has been the impact thatthe participants have had on my staff. They’vecome away with so much more confidence andhave really enjoyed it. One particular person, shehas just blossomed and wants to do more. Shewants to work in Outreach now, which is brilliant.” Museum Outreach Officer

The guided tours and activities seem to have had thestrongest impacts, particularly for those blind andpartially sighted participants who had made no othermuseum visits that year: 58 per cent reported that theactivity “made them feel part of something”.

“For partially sighted or blind people it’s a real boostto discover that there are more opportunities outthere. Maybe you have closed some of thoseopportunities down because you’ve beenprotecting yourself from the fear of failure or the

fear of not being able to do something because itseemed inaccessible. But actually, when you go ona programme like this and you meet other partiallysighted people, blind people, curators and othersdedicated to giving you access to all the stuffyou’re really interested in, it has a phenomenalimpact – more than you realise.” Zoë Partington-Sollinger, CultureLink

Disability awareness trainingPromoting the work of blind and partially sighted artistsand consultants by recruiting them to deliver workshopsand bespoke training is important in providingemployment and professional development. In addition,their presence in the museums, coupled with their non-judgmental attitude, will further lessen the fear thatsurrounds disability awareness training: the fear ofsaying the wrong thing, the fear of being branded as“bad” as opposed to “lacking in knowledge”. Onemuseum has already set up a training post for a blindparticipant and significantly, 25 per cent of the staffreported their biggest area of learning as “awareness ofthe challenges, issues and needs of blind and partiallysighted people”.

40 Shaping the future

Where museums were already engaged in accessinitiatives, it’s important that galleries keep up-to-dateand continually update themselves about newapproaches otherwise real contemporary change isunlikely. Sometimes people do not fully grasp thedifference between intellectual and physical access, andalso make assumptions about who should takeresponsibility for providing access.

“We had an inclusion and access officer say, ‘Ohwell, artists are very difficult and they wouldn’tchange things for us’. They’d already decided itwas not worth having that conversation with theartist and flagged it up as an organisational policy.That’s blocked thinking. There is a barrier therethat actually might not exist – it’s just aperception.” Zoë Partington-Sollinger, CultureLink

Throughout the programme, nearly all of theinterviewees, both blind and sighted, agreed that peopleoften avoid contact with blind and partially sightedpeople either because they are afraid of saying thewrong thing or because they make negative assumptionsabout what it means to be blind. Even where museumstaff are well-meaning or officially positioned to increase

access, these fears and assumptions form animpenetrable barrier, leaving the blind or partiallysighted person isolated.

“People don’t want to communicate with blindpeople. Honestly, the answer you get back to ‘whydidn’t you say something to them?’ is ‘I didn’tknow what to say’. Well, actually, they have losttheir eyes: not their ears, not their brain.” Participant


CultureLink has been extremely successful in removingthis fear, partly by providing knowledge and partly bypositioning blind and partially sighted people at thecentre. Training and the provision of information allowedvolunteers and museum staff to be more confident thatthey wouldn’t say the wrong thing. Informal feedbacksessions put the emphasis on learning and allowedmuseum staff to explore their fears and assumptions.They were left much freer to engage with blind andpartially sighted participants, enabling positive changeto take place quickly and cheaply.

The combination of providing knowledge, replacingnegative experiences with positive ones, bringing blindand partially sighted people and museum staff togetherwith the mutual goal of improving access, and enablingboth parties to gain a more accurate view of oneanother’s reality, has been extremely powerful andshould be used as a model for future rollouts. Prolongedcontact with reality is often instrumental in thedismantling of negative assumptions.

“There is no substitute for rolling your sleeves upand getting on with it. That is where you learnstuff.” RNIB Volunteer

How to increase accessIncreasing access benefits all visitors and can revitalisecollections. Revitalised collections protect our heritageduring difficult economic times when locating accessinitiatives elsewhere would leave them vulnerable to cutsand render sustainable change unlikely.

“Do it on the same level as the next big show. Itcan’t be badged as something that is purely aboutaccess or purely about communities becauseimmediately people will shut down and put it in apigeon hole, ‘Well, I’m curatorial, so that’s my job,and you’re communities so that’s your job’. It mustbe badged as something they need to knowabout.”

Group interviewFrom a marketing perspective, blind and partially sightedvisitors need just as much consideration as other visitors,but powerful word-of-mouth networks do exist. Newmedia such as Twitter and Facebook are extremelyaccessible and should be included in any marketingcampaign. Above all, working directly with blind andpartially sighted people and involving them in feedback

42 Shaping the future

sessions has been key to the project in many ways, such as:

motivating volunteers and blind and partially sightedparticipants

addressing fears and negative assumptions

supporting real learning and changed behaviourthrough “learning by doing”, feedback and reflection

increasing the felt knowledge of the impact ofintellectual access.

Sustainability is a much larger question but theCultureLink workshops have been powerful in theirability to capture hearts and minds. Participating venuesare planning future events and have made significantchanges to wider aspects of their practice. Many arecollaborating to share resources and have even set upaccess groups.

“If they [museums] were completely independentlyaccessible from the front door until you are readyto leave, it would mean I could just drop into amuseum if I had a free afternoon – Go in, bymyself, and come out again an hour later, walkhome and just be able to reflect.”

Participant


Recruitment and management ofvolunteersVolunteers can increase the impact and value for moneyof a service. They are an invaluable resource to RNIB thatenables services to extend beyond their normal reachand meet the needs of customers where it would beotherwise impossible.

CultureLink is centred on the “buddy” principle, withone-to-one volunteer support forming the backbone ofthe project. Beyond specific tasks, volunteers also act inthe wider community as advocates for the needs of blindand partially sighted people. The CultureLink projectofficer was responsible for recruiting volunteers usingthe most appropriate methods and potential sources,while RNIB volunteering services provided a link to theirvolunteers.

Ideas for recruiting and managingvolunteersThe project adopted a layered approach to recruiting.This involved using a combination of general and

targeted recruitment, recruiting through relevantintermediaries and assistance from other partners suchas local societies for blind people. Further recruits camefrom similar projects across the UK, along with existingmuseum and gallery volunteers. By following these keycriteria, it is possible to draw upon a great range ofexpertise:

Recruit volunteers who have some interest orexperience in cultural activities.

Consider the requirements of the role and identifysources of possible volunteers who can be matchedwith blind and partially sighted partners.

Carry out a general recruitment campaign annually,such as leaflet distribution, posters, radio andnewspaper advertising and presentations to localgroups and voluntary organisations.

Ensure in advance of the project start date that youhave detailed application forms. Provide guidelines forthe role of the volunteer, along with practical issues,such as training, expenses and CRB checks.

Volunteering 45

Chapter 6 – Volunteering

Adopt a flexible, informal attitude to the interviewprocess, as it can seem daunting to prospectivevolunteers.

The volunteer induction should include generalinformation on the scheme and on sight loss issues. Itshould also cover supervision arrangements,confidentiality, equal opportunities, health and safetyissues and disciplinary, grievance and complaintprocedures.

Training sessions should give a clear understanding ofwhat a volunteer has been recruited to do, togetherwith the boundaries to which both parties shouldadhere. An information pack can be distributed tovolunteers explaining the types of inclusive artsapproaches that will help them understand the needsof blind and partially sighted people.

Adopt a system of recognition to thank volunteers fortheir contribution and show that their efforts arevalued.

In Focus – CultureLink VolunteerAlistair volunteered at several events during theCultureLink programme, including Hereford Cathedral,Bantock House in Wolverhampton and Birmingham’s PenRoom. Here he shares his thoughts and experiences ofthe project.

How do you normally receive information aboutvolunteering opportunities?

“Typically I have done it online. This is my first timevolunteering so it was my first port of call and fromthere I was referred to RNIB through theCommunity Council of Shropshire.”

Why is volunteering important to you?

“What’s important now is having somethingmeaningful to fill my time. I spoke to a couple offriends in public health and they confirmed thatRNIB was a good charity, involved in research aswell as helping those with a need. So acombination of factors confirmed that RNIB was anorganisation I wanted to get involved with.”

46 Volunteering

And why choose the CultureLink project specifically?

“It was suggested to me as a volunteeringopportunity in the West Midlands, and it’s anunusual project, quite challenging to start with, soI thought ‘Why not?’”

What outcomes do you think the CultureLink projectwill have?

“Short term I think it’s a two-way thing.Participating museums get a little more clued upon what’s required and blind and partially sightedpeople don’t feel excluded from those places.Longer term, and probably more important, israising awareness amongst the community ofmuseums and cultural places.”

What has been good about the project?

“Personally, my first contact with working with theRNIB was a positive one. Also, fundraising is allwell and good but you need to understand what itis actually like for blind and partially sightedpeople. There are different experiences; somepeople are blind from birth and some are onlyrecently blind. Some can see light and dark and not

much else. So practically, it was a good entry pointinto RNIB. Seeing how people connect to theiremotions through art or their surroundings was areal eye opener.”

What kind of impact did you see it having?

“Seeing people connect with the pieces or thesculpture they were touching and finding out moreabout the story behind it; observing that was quitea positive experience. On the other side, seeingmuseum staff getting input on how to design theirmuseums – for me, that was people’s perspectivesbeing opened up a little bit.”

What do you feel that you have learnt?

“It boils down to how to deal with blind and partiallysighted people, how to communicate, how to dealwith things sensitively but also meaningfully, soyou are giving them the right level of support. Itwas quite a challenge because you have to look atsome fairly abstract things, particularly in artgalleries, and try to describe them to somebodywho cannot see. That in itself makes youappreciate the art in a different way. You go back

Volunteering 47

to square one. You come to re-appreciate whatyou’re looking at.”

In terms of people connecting with art, is thereanything that stood out?

“At the Hereford museum we all sat down andtalked. People were saying what they could see,what they couldn’t see. Just getting that insightreally made a big impact. It gave it more meaningbecause people were disclosing stuff that youwould not ordinarily get if you were asked to guidethem.”

What kind of things were they disclosing?

“There was a girl who had been blind from birth soshe had no sense of colour or form. And she wastrying to explain a heart in pure emotional terms.So where I would say it’s two little pear shapedobjects put together, she said it means comfort,love, security; that’s how she sees her heart. Itcreates a picture purely by emotion. It changed myview of things.”

And in terms of accessing museums, what lessons forthe future do you think we can learn?

“I think the staff at the museums have a duty totake the legacy forward. But where the volunteersfit in would be in terms of feedback. Keep usinformed. I guess we have all, to a greater or lessextent, played a part in it and it would be nice tosee where it ends up.”

Do you have any plans to volunteer in museums andgalleries again?

“I would do CultureLink again because it’s RNIB butI am going to be on the move so it does not makemuch sense for me to commit to a museum or artgallery. I chose RNIB because I want to be involvedwith and help blind and partially sighted people. IfI wanted to volunteer for a museum I would go tothat organisation.”

What is it about the CultureLink Project that makesyou keen to do it again?

“Well, it was quite well organised. And it wasintellectually challenging at times. I am notbelittling any other forms of voluntary work, which

48 Volunteering

are absolutely as essential. The boring stuff is justas essential as the non-boring stuff. But this is oneof the easier ones to volunteer for. And if you wantto develop your appreciation for history or art orwhatever, I really think this is a pretty plumopportunity.”

Would you be interested in making further visitswith the person you supported?

“Yes, I would. With one-off visits you don’t developa relationship to the same extent.”

What do you think it takes for those kinds ofrelationships to develop?

“I think you kind of need to organise it on a morepersonal basis rather than on a venue basisbecause at every museum I went to there was adifferent set of people.”

How is volunteering on the Culture Link projectdifferent to volunteering you have done elsewhere?

“I think the more specific you get in a voluntaryposition the more meaningful it is. You can have adeeper experience because it’s a very personal

project. The way you perceive art is very personaland you’re trying to get an understanding goingbetween the blind person and the piece of art. Ifyou want them to connect, you have to let them into what you’re feeling about what you’re seeing –things you would not ordinarily tell somebodyyou’ve never met before.”

What impact does that have on you or on the blindor partially sighted person?

“It depends if they like what you’re seeing. It couldreally form a bond quicker than if they were doingmore routine tasks. So your guider becomes maybemore than someone who just leads you around theplace. It’s part of a shared experience and a sharedemotion, whereas walking them up and down thestairs or taking them over the road is functional.”

Anything else you want to add?

“Amy did a good job. She is very easy to approach.You can ask stupid questions and you don’t feelstupid because she understands someone who hasnever guided before and helps you into the taskvery easily.”

Volunteering 49

“I think some venues have realised that blind andpartially sighted people are not necessarily goingto just turn up at your door. You have to workreally hard to identify where those people are, howyou get information to them and how you makethem feel welcome.” Zoë Partington-Sollinger, CultureLink

Blind and partially sighted visitors, participants,employees and volunteers need to be recruited andmarketed to just as vigorously as others. Marketing takestime and resources, and not all approaches will work forall venues. However, consistent commitment has beenshown to result in regular audiences at events, excellentlinks with local societies and other community groups,and increased visitor numbers. A well-planned andimaginative approach will ensure that everyone, visitorsand staff alike, will reap benefits.

Before even thinking about strategies it is useful toreflect on why people visit a venue. Motivations canrange from a spontaneous visit during a day out to amore specific interest in the building or event. It is also

important to understand the reason why people choosenot to visit a venue. Anything from a general lack ofinterest to a feeling that the venue has nothing to offersomebody with sight loss will impact on the decision.

Information does not reach people with sight loss easily.It takes time, hard work and a very pro-active approachto develop strong relationships. All our participants saidthat they would consider making a visit more often ifthey were made aware that a venue had facilities such asaudio guides, specialist talks or objects they could touch.

Marketing and promoting your servicesto people before a visitMost blind and partially sighted visitors will appreciateaccess to information in advance. Local contacts areinvaluable; a good place to start is by establishing linkswith local societies for blind and partially sighted people,self-help groups and social workers for people with sightloss. Consider also local radio stations and talkingnewspapers.

Marketing to blind and partially sighted people 51

Chapter 7 – Marketing to blind and partially sighted people

Some venues are developing pre-visit packs aimed atblind and partially sighted people. These may containinformation in braille, large print or audio format. Somepre-visit packs, such as those for Ely Cathedral inCambridgeshire, are available to borrow from RNIB’sNational Library Service and local societies, as well asfrom the venue itself.

For those blind and partially sighted people who may beinterested in your services but will not use any of thenetworks mentioned above, there are other creativeavenues to explore. It was suggested at one of theCultureLink sharing days that museums and galleriestake full advantage of modern social media networkssuch as Twitter and Facebook to attract the youngergeneration to museums and galleries.

“I took part in the CultureLink Project in 2010. Iattended the event at Coventry Transport Museumbecause I am interested in photography as a blindperson. The event turned out to be superb; veryeye opening, pun intended, to see how manysighted people were prepared to listen and takeonboard points of view and ideas from the blindpeople at the event.

I was, however, by far the youngest person there. Isee myself as part of a younger generation ofgadget-lovers; I take photos with an 8MP cameraon a mobile phone with software installed thatmakes the phone talk to me. Everyone else reliedon cameras that were handed out by the museum. Isuggest that museums and galleries look towardsmodern technologies to make their services moreaccessible.

I’m talking of Twitter first of all. This allows quick,pointed messages of no more than 140 charactersto be sent out. These appear on that person ororganisation’s Twitter page. Businesses worldwideuse it for marketing, publicity and promotional chatmessages.

Millions of people have accounts and you canfollow anyone if their tweets are open to thepublic. Alongside other social networks likeFacebook and MSN Live, it’s an essential part ofanyone’s day-to-day running of an organisation orevent.

Younger people love things to be short and sweetand to the point – Twitter is perfect. It’s easy to

52 Marketing to blind and partially sighted people

use and accessible with specialist software likeJaws for Windows, Talks and many more. Messagesand promos can reach thousands of people inseconds.

I have already seen Coventry Transport Museumtake these comments onboard and they’re now aregular Tweeter. I follow and get lots of info onupcoming events, competitions and more. I highlyrecommend that others follow their example anduse Twitter, Facebook and social networking toattract the younger, and some older, generations totheir doors.”Gavin Griffiths, CultureLink Participant

Blind and partially sighted people often receiveinformation from sighted family and friends. Mentioningthe services you offer for people with sight loss in allyour visitor information will help raise awareness of theways in which blind and partially sighted people accessleisure activities. Advertising in specialist press andpublications, such as RNIB’s Vision or NB magazines isalso worth considering.

The most time and expense will be spent securing a firstvisit to your venue. Once that first visit is secured, it is

then important to build a mailing list. With theindividuals’ permission, a telephone or email databasecan serve as a quick and effective marketing tool forkeeping previous visitors informed about forthcomingevents and exhibitions. In theatre it has proved to be avery welcome way of letting people know about audiodescribed productions.

Further information:

Arts Council England has commissioned “Marketing andDisabled Audiences: A Guide for the Arts”. From theirwebsite you can find this and many other usefulpublications – www.artscouncil.org.uk

There are over 500 talking newspaper groupsthroughout the UK. For information on your local talkingnewspaper contact National Talking Newspapers andMagazines on 01435 866102 or email [email protected]

Marketing and promoting your servicesto visitors at the venueMarketing is also about letting people know what is onoffer when they get to the venue. Several participantsinvolved in the research recalled situations in which staffwere unaware of services offered to blind and partially


sighted people. Some had been told no services existed,even though that was not the case.

“An important thing is that when an organisationhas produced an accessible audio guide theyshould tell their staff. They need to communicatethis information so that whoever you get when youring up that day will know.”Participant

All members of staff need to be regularly updated onservices and projects provided for blind and partiallysighted visitors. A checklist of all services should bedisplayed in reception and at all points where staffmembers answer the phone. Prominently featuring theinternationally recognised shaded eye symbol in yourpublicity and at reception will alert visitors to theavailability of services for blind and partially sightedpeople. This symbol for visual impairment, developed bythe Partially Sighted Society, will also be helpful tovisitors who have a sight problem but who do notconsider themselves blind or partially sighted.


To obtain a Shaded Eye symbol, or for any other relatedqueries, see the Partially Sighted Society on page 78.

54 Marketing to blind and partially sighted people

Developing an access guideMany cultural venues are now developing access guidesthat contain information on services for disabled people;some specifically for blind and partially sighted visitors.Such guides should contain the following information:

Practical information: address, opening times,concessionary rates, your welcome to guide dogs.

A general description of the building.

Brief details about collections and events.

Information about the assistance that can be providedand how much advance notice is required.

Places where visitors can obtain information andguides in alternative formats. Mention also if thisinformation can be borrowed in advance and takenaway or purchased afterwards.

Any other services available to blind and partiallysighted people: for example, touch tours orcollections, accessible ICT equipment.

Details about audio guides; include those for thegeneral public (which may be enjoyed by many people

with sight problems) and those specifically developedfor blind and partially sighted people. Mention cost ifapplicable.

Details of any events that are specially targeted atpeople with sight problems.

Telephone numbers of specific departments, membersof staff, useful organisations or numbers for bookingexhibitions and restaurants.

A contact name and number to call for moreinformation if required.

In addition, detailed travel information is essential. Thisshould include:

Nearest train, underground or tram station.

Which number buses to take and where they stop.

How to get to the venue from the bus, train,underground or tram station.

Car parking facilities and their cost, including whichcoins may be needed.

Concessions available to blue badge holders.


What to tell the driver if coming by taxi.

The approximate cost of a taxi from the station.

Travel information telephone numbers.

When producing an access guide, consultation withvisitors with sight loss is vital. Find out about theirexperiences of travelling to your venue. If you aresuggesting a walking route from a station to your venue,try it out in advance with someone who has a sightproblem to make sure you are providing all theinformation they need. Produce your guide in accessibleformats and ensure it is widely publicised. Distributecopies to local societies for blind and partially sightedpeople and make it available at the venue, local librariesand tourist information centres. It should also beavailable online and advertised in all visitor information.

Finally, consideration should be given at the outset tohow your guide can be updated simply and effectively,so that it continues to be a valuable tool.

In summaryIn order to effectively promote services and events:

Consider why people do and don’t attend your venueand develop a creative marketing plan.

Develop links with local contacts, local radio, talkingnewspaper services and specialist nationalpublications.

Use Twitter, Facebook, MSN and other digitalplatforms.

Ensure services are promoted to visitors at your venue.

Consider developing an access guide or user group togather relevant feedback.


“Literature, ranging from advertising leaflets towebsites, is not always available to blind andpartially sighted people. My sight loss means it canbe very frustrating visiting exhibitions with mychildren. They are both sighted and I’m not alwaysable to assist them and explain things. I tend tofind interactive displays quite difficult.” Alison, Museum visitor and mother

Adopting an accessible informationpolicy and planFor blind and partially sighted visitors, information mustbe accessible through mediums such as interactivedisplays, touch screens, display text, captions andguidebooks. Consider how someone with a sight issuewill access information at every stage of a visit, fromreading a leaflet or planning a visit online to takingliterature home. Key to developing a successfulaccessible information policy is consultation with localblind and partially sighted people. Their involvementshould also form part of any house style policy.Information should be produced in a range of formats of

equivalent quality that are available at the same price.And it is important to plan the production of all formatsat the same time as planning standard print information.

Once you have your range of formats, customers need tobe made aware of its availability. Many blind andpartially sighted people have low expectations of gettinginformation in a way they can read, so they don’t ask forit. This is often misinterpreted by organisations as lack ofdemand. A clear, large print statement displayed inreception about the availability of large print, audio orbraille can make your venue a more welcoming place.Customers contacting a venue prior to attending anevent, workshop or conference should also be madeaware of accessible formats. Time should be allowed tohave it transcribed into all the formats your participantsand visitors require. It may be that you can distributeinformation electronically in advance of the day at verylittle cost.

People often like to take home a guide or otherinformation. Copies of your audio guide, the script of theguide, or copies of raised images could be made

Accessible information 59

Chapter 8 – Accessible information

available at the end of a visit. Many museums andgalleries include podcasts and other contemporary mediain their formats.

It must be remembered that many people with sight lossuse different forms of information in different situations.For example, it should not be assumed that if prior totheir visit, someone requests information to be preparedin braille or audio file, that they would want informationin the same format during the visit. It’s important tocheck with blind and partially sighted people before theyvisit to confirm their format preferences.

Facts:Around two million people in the UK are unable toread standard print with ease.

75 per cent of partially sighted people can read largeprint.

36 per cent of blind people can read large print.

There are around 20,000 fluent braille readers in theUK and many more people able to use braille labellingand signage.

24 per cent of blind people use audio information.

Forms of accessible information

Standard print

When compared with how much is spent on standardprint information, making information accessible is oftencheaper and easier than people think.

RNIB’s See it Right guide gives publishers and designersclear print guidelines to help make their informationaccessible to as many people as possible. For example:

Use a minimum 14 point font size.

Ensure there is a strong contrast between text andbackground colour (black on white and black onyellow are among the strongest contrasts but there area range of options).

Don’t run text over pictures or diagrams.

Use paper that minimises show through and glare.

Adopting these guidelines can be done immediately andat virtually no cost. Producing all your visitor andcollection information using clear print guidelines and a14 point font immediately maximises the number ofpeople who can access it.

60 Accessible information


The See it Right guide contains guidelines, tips andadvice on producing information in a wide range offormats. It can be purchased from RNIB's Online shoprnib.org.uk/shop. Alternatively call RNIB on 0303 123 9999 or email [email protected]

Large print

Large print is considered to be anything in a 16 pointfont or above. Using a 16 point font allows many morepeople to access your information, including olderpeople who don’t necessarily see themselves as partiallysighted. Large print users will each have uniquerequirements in terms of text size, making it impossibleto produce information in one size that will satisfyeveryone. One simple solution is to produce anelectronic text file with adjustable font size, which canthen be printed instantly for the customer. Whenproducing large print it is still important to follow theRNIB print guidelines.

Facts: Nearly three quarters of organisations surveyed forRNIB’s publication “Talking Images” provided visitorguides to their permanent collections in print.

Less than a quarter provided this information in large print.

Braille, audio files and PenFriend

Braille is a system of raised dots that are read by touch.With the right software, training and an embosser(braille printer), it can be produced in-house. Although,it is more common for it to be produced by atranscription agency, as accuracy is crucial.

Audio files can beproduced in-house,by a transcriptionagency, or with thehelp of a localtalking newspaperor radio station.Agencies oftenlend a moreprofessional feel tostandard literature,


62 Accessible information

which makes longer documents easier to listen to. Thein-house approach would be better suited to materialaimed at individual customers.

The RNIB PenFriend audio labeller is a low cost solutionfor smaller venues that lets you record a small label foreveryday items. Users stick the label on any item thentap it with the PenFriend to hear it read out.


RNIB can transcribe information into braille, audio andlarge print as well as providing details of other nationaland local transcription agencies. Call our Helpline on0303 123 9999.

VocalEyes (www.vocaleyes.co.uk) can transferinformation into audio format and will undertake allkinds of audio description projects.

The PenFriend is available to buy from RNIB’s Onlineshop. For feedback on the PenFriend in action, contactthe Museum Learning Officer at Bristol Museum and Art Gallery on 0117 352 5613.

Electronic text

This can be a very cheap way of distributing information.A growing number of blind and partially sighted peoplehave access to computers, and email or computer disksare an easy way to provide this service. Information canbe accessed through the use of large screens or accesstechnology such as programmes that enlarge text on thescreen. Screen readers can convey the information onscreen to the user via speech or braille. Individuals mayalso be able to create their own documents from theelectronic file. There may occasionally be compatibilityissues but as a basic rule simple text files will work wellfor all forms of access technology.

Online information

The growth of the internet means that people with sightloss have the opportunity to enjoy a wealth ofinformation and services not previously available. As withthe production of electronic text, web pages must beappropriately designed to allow blind and partiallysighted people access. RNIB campaigns for good websitedesign and urges designers to take responsibility toensure that online information is accessible to all. TheWeb Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), published

by the W3C’s Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), shouldbe used in the development of all websites. In addition,RNIB offers an audit service to websites aiming to hitaccessibility targets. The Surf Right logo is awarded tothose sites that meet to the requirements.

Facts: Over two-thirds of the venues surveyed for “TalkingImages” stated that they have a website. Of these, lessthan 30 per cent were accessible to blind or partiallysighted people.


The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) areavailable online at www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENTand RNIB has many useful tips on designing anaccessible website.

Accessibility Consultancy Services Royal National Institute of Blind People 105 Judd StreetLondon WC1H 9NE

Telephone: 020 7391 2178Email: [email protected]: rnib.org.uk/WebAccessCentre

In summaryEnsure that all information you produce is accessible topeople with sight problems by:

adopting an accessible information policy

producing information in a range of accessible formats

ensuring that your website is accessible.

With a clearer understanding of these issues,implementing accessibility will become second nature.Your accessible information policy should be built intoyour planning and delivery schedules early on. This willreduce costs and ensure you are prepared to offer themaximum number of customers a valuable and inclusiveservice from the outset.


“Our tactile tour was developed with blind andvisually impaired people in mind but it’s alsoexcellent for groups of disabled young people orchildren with learning difficulties who are morehands on. An interactive tour is much better andwe have already seen an increase in bookings for it,so that’s really good.”Museum staff

There are many ways to interpret artwork, environmentsand archives. Greater access to collections not onlybenefits blind and partially sighted people, it is also vitalin developing staff skills, building confidence andimproving the experience for all visitors. Most venuesuse a combination of the following methods:

descriptive events and tours

participatory sessions and the use of “handling”objects

allowing original art or features to be touched

offering representations of objects, tactile images andmulti-sensory exhibits

providing access to collections online via resourcessuch as i-map: a computer-generated interpretation ofworks from the Tate collection –www.tate.org.uk/imap

In addition to the use of i-Map the Tate Modern hasdeveloped a guide for their staff to support their tours.Producing this type of guide means responsibility can beshared across teams and volunteers. Many venues in theUnited States have found that there is no substitute for aperson delivering the audio tours. However, podcasts area very useful way to make your web content moreaccessible, more appealing and more useful to a wideraudience.

What is audio description? Audio description is putting visual images or events intowords. It is used in theatre, in cinema, on television, insporting events and on DVDs and videos to improveaccess for blind and partially sighted people.Descriptions might be pre-recorded or presented live.

Approaches beyond accessibility 65

Chapter 9 – Approaches beyond accessibility

A number of venues, such as the National Gallery, offerregular sessions where a large reproduction of a work ofart is described with detailed background and contextualinformation. Some sessions are open to all and others arespecifically for disabled users so it is worth enquiring.

Larger venues employ professional audio describers whileothers train their staff internally. Blind and partiallysighted people will also have preferences so it isimportant to find out what your audience prefers – somerequire more insight from a combination of audiodescription and intellectual access.

“What we want is for people to paint a picture forus; to describe the art as they see it so that we areusing their eyes. You can’t be completely objective,it wouldn’t mean anything – it would be clinical.But also you can’t be too interpretative. You needto give the information so that I can draw theconclusions.”RNIB participant

Some tips on describing a painting to get you started:

Begin with the artist and date, medium and size. It issometimes best to leave the title until after thedescription.

Describe the painting in a couple of sentences andfollow with a detailed but objective description.

Your description should cover content, style, mood,colour, perspective, composition and use of light.

Use straightforward language and explain any unusualterms.

Be consistent when using measurements. Sometimes itis useful to use a relative scale: knee height, arm’slength etc.

Use appropriate nouns and lots of adjectives withactive verbs, eg “surging forward”.

Described the style and content in a clear order.Clockwise, for example. Do not dart around thepainting randomly unless the viewer requests this.

Make sure the delivery is clear, enthusiastic andpleasant to listen to.

If possible, research your audience in advance and askspecific questions about their interests in order toascertain their level of knowledge.

66 Approaches beyond accessibility

Touching the real thing A combination of live description and touch tours can beincredibly beneficial to blind and partially sighted users.Many will enjoy the opportunity to touch objects as away of gaining access to collections. Touching can givepeople the opportunity to explore items for themselvesand to make their own discoveries rather than relying ona third party. There are two main ways for blind andpartially sighted visitors to touch: touching originalartefacts (covered in this section), or touchingrepresentations such as tactile images or models(covered in the next section).

There are a number of approaches to providing visitorswith the opportunity to touch real objects and artefactsin your venue. These include:

a guided touch tour

providing people with the information to undertake atouch tour independently, such as those offered bythe Victoria and Albert museum, the Imperial WarMuseum and the British Museum

handling sessions including artefacts from yourcollections.


Visitors could also be encouraged to touch objects thatare not from collections but enhance the tourexperience; for example, objects that demonstrate thefunctioning of a mechanical article, materials and toolsused in the production of artefacts, or objects whichconvey concepts used in art works.

“One idea we’ve been talking about is to have atactile display for everybody to touch which hasexamples of canvas, sized canvas, over painting,under painting, different types of oil painting,glazes, whether the glaze is cracked. So that youcould feel and they could be referred to in anydescription.” Museum staff

When developing a touch tour, it might be useful tothink about developing a selection of themed objects.Objects that contrast in terms of materials, date andstyle may be useful for visitors. For example, you couldinclude busts made of bronze and of marble, sculpturethat is realistic in its representation alongside abstractpieces.

To address any conservation issues, visitors could beprovided with hand wipes or invited to take rings off

their fingers. Whenever possible, people should beallowed to touch the object directly, though gloves maybe appropriate for certain exhibits. According to oneparticipant, food preparation gloves work well andprovide good sensitivity.


Art Beyond Sight (www.artbeyondsight.org) provides auseful overview into how people read tactile objects.Further insight can be found at Disability Arts Online(www.tinyurl.com/6hpzhwy), including this fromSiegfried Saerberg’s Blinde und Kunst:

“All the time, my fingers keep shaping new words.My imagination keeps coming up with newinterpretations for the stone until I have piecedtogether a mosaic, made of myself and thesculpture. The names formed by the hands try tospeak their own language. Bubbling at first, theyendeavour to grasp their new continent.”

Tactile imagesA tactile image is a raised representation of a two orthree-dimensional image which is explored using thefingertips. Tactile images give people with sight loss the


chance to appreciate and understand material andinformation that would not normally be accessible tothem. They can be used in a number of diverse ways:

to complement audio guides

in conjunction with guided tours

in educational sessions

off-site before or after a visit.

They might represent:

two-dimensional works of art

architectural features and building facades

designs on fabric or printed designs such as wallpaper

information that is provided in visual formats, egdiagrams.

Any visual image has to be redefined in order to producea tactile image that a person with sight problems canuse. This redefinition may mean simplification, alteration,adaptation and sometimes distortion to convey theimportant features contained within the visual image.

This often results in the tactile image looking completelydifferent from the visual image.

For a variety of reasons, not everyone will want tointeract with tactile images. They may have had anegative experience in the past, they may not have beenshown how to use tactile images or they may have poorsensitivity. Tactile exploration is a gradual and sequentialprocess that is most successful when accompanied byinformation in braille or audio.


Before embarking on the production of tactile images,consider why they are needed. Not everything willtranslate into a meaningful tactile image. Consider whatinformation the images will portray, how someone woulduse them and how to get the images into the hands ofusers. It may be best to send the tactile image to theuser prior to the visit. The Living Paintings Trust run afree library service for blind and partially sighted people.Packs containing raised images and accompanying audiodescriptions of famous paintings, sculpture andarchitecture are distributed from their library via post.

Other methods include thermoform and embossedgraphics. The thermoform method, sometimes called thecollage method, requires the making of a relief masterfrom which plastic copies are taken – The LivingPaintings Trust uses this method. Embossed graphics areproduced by a special embosser that builds up an imageusing dots punched into paper.

Methods for producing tactile images

Swell Paper: also known as Minolta, microcapsule or hotspot. This is the most common method of producingtactile images. It requires the transfer of black and whiteartwork onto special paper impregnated with

microcapsules of alcohol. The paper is then put througha heat diffuser. The black areas absorb the heat and themicrocapsules burst, causing these areas to rise up, thuscreating the tactile image.

German Film: a thin plastic embossing film, which isplaced on a soft rubber mat and drawn on withembossing tools or a ball point pen.

Wikki Stix: waxed coloured yarns, which stick to almostany surface. Especially good when working with children.

Tacti-Mark: a liquid plastic that sets hard after a shortperiod of time.

Thermoform: this method involves the production of arelief master, which is built up using a cut and stickcollage method from a variety of everyday objects, egcrepe paper, sand paper etc. A thin plastic copy of therelief is taken using a heat and vacuum process.

Tips for producing tactile images

Think with the fingertips, not the eyes.

Take off the “clutter” – strip the image to its barebones.


Don’t be too detailed; lines less than 6mm apart arenot easily distinguished.

Make sure there is enough space for braille text. Abraille cell takes up approximately the same space as aletter in 24 point Arial font.

Do not use label lines as you would in print.

Where possible, keep the image to proportion and notexact scale. Although some idea of scale for maps isimportant.

Be consistent with the positioning of titles and pagenumbers.

Someone accessing an image by sight will see the wholeimage instantaneously. Someone using touch to accessan image will rely on their brain piecing together manysnippets of information. Making sense of thatinformation and organising it into a complete image canbe quite a task. Additional information, such as audiodescription or braille, will help create a mental picture.Consider also the use of sound: period music, readingsof literature describing scenes in classical art andrecordings of natural and urban environments allcontribute to a far more rewarding experience.

“It’s great that you’re able to touch and feel things.So many art galleries are ‘don’t touch’ andeverything is sign posted, but it’s our history andunfortunately we can’t see it, so it’s nice to learnabout your past in a different way.”Participant


Websites

RNIB publications on sight lossrnib.org.uk/shop

Conferenceswww.st-dunstans.org.uk/about_us/in_touch_with_art

Access to workwww.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/Employmentsupport

Audio descriptionwww.vocaleyes.co.ukwww.mindseyedescription.blogspot.com

Productswww.visualeyesuk.com

T3 Tactile Image machine developed by RNCBHereford Specialists Products and Training Services:Telephone: 01432 376391 Email: [email protected] www.rncb.ac.uk

Organisations supporting blind and partially sighted peoplewww.actionforblindpeople.org.ukwww.guidedogs.org.ukwww.nfb.orgwww.partsight.org.uk

Publications

Access Prohibited? Information for designers ofpublic access terminals, Dr John Gill (2000)Available online: www.tiresias.org

A Guide to Inclusive Design, Disability RightsCommission (2002)Available from the Equality and Human RightsCommission: www.equalityhumanrights.com

Art Beyond Sight: a resource guide to arts, creativityand visual impairment, Art Education for the Blind andAmerican Foundation for the Blind (2003)Available from RNIB’s Research Library:rnib.org.uk/researchlibrary

Further reading 73

Further reading

Code of Practice: Rights of Access – goods, facilities,services and premises, Disability Rights Commission(2002)Available from the Equality and Human RightsCommission: www.equalityhumanrights.com

Magical Mystery Tour, University of Bristol DisabilityUnit (1999)Available from University of Bristol Disability Unit:[email protected]

Partnerships for learning: a guide to evaluating artseducation projects, Felicity Woolf, Arts Council EnglandAvailable from the Arts Council England:www.artscouncil.org.uk

Painting from a New Perspective, RNIB (2001)Available from RNIB: 0303 123 9999

See it Right guide, RNIB (2011)Available from RNIB: 0303 123 9999

Sign Design Guide, Sign Design Society, JMU AccessPartnership (2000)Available from RNIB: 0303 123 9999

Talking Images Research. Museums, galleries andheritage sites: improving access for blind and partiallysighted people, RNIB and Vocaleyes (2003)Available from RNIB: 0303 123 9999

Talking Images GuideAvailable from RNIB: 0303 123 9999rnib.org.uk/museum

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, World WideWeb Consortium (W3C) Available from: www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT

What Colour is the Wind: insight into art and visualimpairment, National Society for Education in Art andDesign (1992)Out of print but available from RNIB’s Research library:rnib.org.uk/researchlibrary

74 Further reading

Contacts

Contact details are correct at time of going to press andare not exhaustive.

Disability Arts Online9 Jew StreetBrighton BN1 1UTTelephone: 01273 77 18 78 or 07411 82 44 58Email: [email protected] www.disabilityartsonline.org.uk

In Touch with Artwww.st-dunstans.org.uk/about_us/in_touch_with_art

Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB)National Arts Development OfficerNational Leisure Services TeamTelephone: 0121 665 4249Email: [email protected] rnib.org.uk/culturelink

RNIB products and publicationsPO Box 173Peterborough PE2 6WSTelephone: 0303 123 9999 Email: UK customers – [email protected]: International customers – [email protected]/shop

Tate ModernBanksideLondon SE1 9TG Telephone: 020 7887 8888Email: [email protected]/modern

Vocaleyes (Nationwide audio description producers)First Floor 54 Commercial Street London E1 6LTTelephone: 020 7375 1043Email: [email protected]

Further reading 75

Funders and advisors

Arts Council England14 Great Peter StreetLondon SW1P 3NQTelephone: 0845 300 6200Email: [email protected]

Cadw – Welsh Historic Monuments Welsh Assembly GovernmentPlas CarewUnit 5/7 Cefn CoedParc NantgarwCardiff CF15 7QQTelephone: 01443 33 6000Email: [email protected]

English HeritageCustomer Services Department PO Box 569Swindon SN2 2YPTelephone: 0870 333 1181Email: [email protected] www.english-heritage.org.uk

Historic ScotlandLongmore HouseSalisbury PlaceEdinburgh EH9 1SHTelephone: 0131 668 8600www.historic-scotland.gov.uk

76 Further reading

Other charities and organisations

Action for Blind People14–16 Verney RoadLondon SE16 3DZ Telephone: 0303 123 9999Email: [email protected]

Action on Hearing Loss (formerly RNID)19–23 Featherstone StreetLondon EC1Y 8SL Telephone: 020 7296 8000Email: [email protected] www.rnid.org.uk

Audio Description Associationc/o AMHSuite 135 The HundredRomsey S051 8GETelephone: 01794 510343Email: [email protected]

Audio Description Association (Scotland)c/o Edinbrugh Festival Theatre13/29 Nicolson Street Edinburgh EH8 9FTTelephone: 0131 662 1112Email: [email protected]

Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)Freepost RRLL-GHUX-CTRXArndale House Arndale Centre Manchester M4 3AQTelephone: 0845 604 6610Email: englandhelpline@equalityhumanrights.comwww.equalityhumanrights.com

ShapeDeane House Studios27 Greenwood PlaceLondon NW5 1LB Telephone: 020 7424 7340 (voice)Email: [email protected]

Further reading 77

The Group for Education in Museums (GEM)54 Balmoral RoadGillinghamKent ME7 4PGTelephone: 01634 853424Email: [email protected]

Guide Dogs for the BlindBurghfield CommonReading RG7 3YGTelephone: 0118 983 5555 Email: [email protected] www.guidedogs.org.uk

Institute for the Management of Sport and PhysicalActivity (IMSPA) SportPark3 Oakwood DriveLoughborough UniversityLoughborough Leics LE11 3QFTelephone: 01509 226474Email: [email protected]

Museums Association24 Calvin StreetLondon E1 6NWTelephone: 020 7426 6910Email: [email protected] www.museumsassociation.org

RNIB National Library ServicePO Box 173Peterborough PE2 6WSTelephone: 0303 123 9999Email: [email protected]/reading

The Partially Sighted Society7/9 BennetthorpeDoncaster DN2 6AATelephone: 0844 477 4966Email: [email protected]

Sense101 Pentonville RoadLondon N1 9LGTelephone: 0845 127 0060/020 7520 0999Email: [email protected]

78 Further reading

Audio guide producers

This list of producers is not exhaustive and the inclusionof a producer does not constitute a recommendationfrom RNIB.

Acoustiguide2–3 North MewsLondon WC1N 2JPTelephone: 020 7269 5150Email: [email protected]

ATS Heritage1 South LaneClanfieldWaterloovilleHampshire PO8 0RBTelephone: 023 9259 5000Email: [email protected]

Antenna International85 Great Eastern StreetLondon EC2A 3HYTelephone: 020 3365 8600Email: [email protected]

Black Box AV Ltd25 Aberafan RoadBaglan Industrial ParkPort TalbotWest Glamorgan SA12 7DJTelephone: 01639 76 70 07Email: [email protected] www.blackboxav.co.uk

The Dog Rose Trust83 GreenacresLudlowShropshire SY8 1LZTelephone: 01584 87 45 67Email: [email protected] www.dogrose-trust.org.uk

Further reading 79

Fieldsman TrailsFron Deg Clayton Road Mold Flintshire CH7 1SU UK Telephone: 01352 75 62 02 Email: [email protected]

Producers of tactile images, maps and models

The Dog Rose Trust83 GreenacresLudlowShropshire SY8 1LZ Telephone: 01584 87 45 67Email: [email protected] www.dogrose-trust.org.uk

Living Paintings TrustQueen Isabelle HouseUnit 8, Kingsclere ParkKingsclere, NewburyBerkshire RG20 4SWTelephone: 01635 29 97 71Email: [email protected]

RNIB National Centre for Tactile DiagramsCentre for Accessible Information58–72 John Bright StreetBirmingham B1 1BNTelephone: 0845 257 2587Email: [email protected]

RNIB Tactile ImagesRNIB Peterborough PO Box 173 Peterborough PE2 6WSTelephone: 01733 37 53 70 Email: [email protected]

80 Further reading

Accessible environments

Centre for Accessible Environments70 South Lambeth RoadVauxhallLondon SW8 1RLTelephone: 020 7840 0120Email: [email protected]

RNIB Access ConsultancyPO Box 173Peterborough PE2 6WSTelephone: 01733 37 53 70Email: [email protected]/accessconsultancy

National Register for Access Consultantswww.nrac.org.uk

Further reading 81

Accessible information

Confederation of Transcribed Information Services(COTIS)67 High StreetTarporleyCheshire CW6 0DPTelephone: 01829 73 33 51Email: [email protected]

RNIB Disability Access ServicesPO Box 173Peterborough PE2 6WSTelephone: 01733 37 53 70 Email: [email protected]

RNIB Web Accessibility105 Judd Street London WC1H 9NETelephone: 020 7391 2178Email: [email protected] rnib.org.uk/webaccessibility

National Talking Newspapers and MagazinesNational Recording CentreHeathfieldEast Sussex TN21 8DBTelephone: 01435 86 61 02Email: [email protected] www.tnauk.org.uk

82 Further reading

This CultureLink publication identifies approaches to key aspects of service delivery which can help improve access to museums and galleries for blind and partially sighted people.

For more information about CultureLink contactRNIB on 0121 665 4249, [email protected] or visit rnib.org.uk/culturelink

RNIB is working towards and beyond 2012 to develop a lasting legacy for all museums and galleries.

© RNIB April 2011 Registered charity number 226227

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