Look, touch, listen and smell at the Tyne & Wear Archives and Museums

Look, touch, listen and smell at the Tyne & Wear Archives and Museums

A visitor accompanied by a guide dog uses braille signage
A visitor accompanied by her guide dog uses the braille signage

Heritage Grants

Monument
Newcastle upon Tyne
Tyne & Wear Museums
£211500
"It was really good feeling the picture; it made me more interested in the painting. It was like a game with my mum."
Visitor, aged 8
Tyne & Wear Archives and Museums enhanced sensory access across five sites, transforming the visitor experience for people with visual and hearing impairments.

Tyne & Wear Archives and Museums operates nine sites across the region. The service holds internationally important collections in a range of subjects including archaeology, social history, technology, natural science and art.

Providing access to everyone is a priority for the service. Much had already been achieved to improve physical access for wheelchair users and visitors with limited mobility. However there was still more to do for people with visual and hearing impairments.

A staff access working group and a user-led disabled access group work together to improve provision. Look, touch, listen & smell improved sensory access at two museums, an art gallery and two archaeological sites.

The project team worked together to develop:

  • pre-visit information packs
  • audio guides with descriptive tours
  • ‘Maps for All’ orientation points with visual and audio information
  • tactile site models.

Special touch tours were devised at the art galleries, whilst staff and volunteers were trained in how to work most effectively with disabled visitors.

People with sensory impairments now have much more engaging and meaningful visits to the sites. Staff and volunteers have the understanding and confidence to support disabled visitors, and are keen to share their experience with other heritage organisations.

The partnerships developed with local disability groups will continue to help the service as it strives to be accessible to the widest possible audience.