Recognising that blind and partially sighted people do not have equal access to heritage, the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) led the multi-partner Sending Culture project over three years. It aimed to:

• remove the barriers people with sight loss face in accessing heritage
• create sustainable learning opportunities
• influence change

Museum staff reported increased skills and confidence in embedding more inclusive engagement practice and in reaching new audiences.

Participating organisations

The project was centred on four sites in South East England run by different organisations, all keen to do things differently:

• The Beaney House of Art and Knowledge, Canterbury
• Oxford University Museums
• The Arthur Conan Doyle Collection in Portsmouth
• Lewes Castle, run by Sussex Archaeological Society

What they did

At each site, focus groups made up of blind and partially sighted visitors, volunteers and colleagues took part in a wide range of digital, creative and sensory activities.

Blind and partially sighted people also acted as ambassadors and mentors, creating a network to collaborate and share learning.

Lewes Castle

This case study is focused on work at Lewes Castle, a ruined Norman site where many steps lead up to reveal stunning views over Sussex. Staff wanted to encourage visitors to the top of the castle, and for those not using the steps, to represent the view with creative use of sound in the garden.

Making a difference

A wider range of people were involved with heritage through the creation of opportunities for blind and partially sighted people to:

• participate in the development of high quality activities and resources
• influence the work of the heritage organisations in the longer term

Heritage was better interpreted at Lewes Castle and museum:

• An audio guide app improved access to, and learning about, the buildings and collection for everyone. It also provided key orientation and audio-described information for blind and partially sighted visitors.
• A sound installation and a listening bench were installed in the garden.
• The part-time project officer was partially sighted, helping to ensure the project focused on the needs and requirements of the target audience.

Working together with blind and partially sighted people from the outset, an app developer, a sound artist, an audio describer and castle staff co-created a script to inform rich audio-described journeys around the castle and museum.

iBeacon technology is built in so that descriptions are triggered as visitors move around the site. Accessibility was embedded into the design of the app from the beginning and ongoing user testing was key to its success.

Feedback from focus group participants has been overwhelmingly positive and the audio guide has made a significant impact in the ways blind and partially sighted people enjoy their experience of a physically demanding heritage site.

Accessibility consultant, Gavin Griffiths, described the app as ‘An excellent piece of work… making visits to the castle for ALL visitors a real treat’.

Museum staff reported increased skills and confidence in embedding more inclusive engagement practice and in reaching new audiences.

Lessons learned

Reflection by the project partners and project evaluation highlighted a number of challenges and lessons learned

Time and resources

The time and resources needed to develop the partnerships across a large geographical area were underestimated in planning this ambitious project. Consequent delays in recruiting a hub project manager had a significant impact at the project outset.

By recruiting the evaluation consultant when the project was already six months underway, the challenge of collecting meaningful data and measuring impact was significant.

Support from senior management 

The commitment to inclusive practice at a strategic level was not always communicated across RNIB management levels or at the heritage sites. In order for inclusive practice to impact on organisations, senior leaders needs to demonstrate support.

This was evident for RNIB, where staff misjudged the resource needed to promote close working between blind and partially sighted groups and the museum sector. Senior strategic commitment is essential before, during and after any project focused on making heritage more inclusive.

Using project learning

More positively, the learning from the project has had a major impact on the teams involved in developing the work, including the blind and partially sighted volunteers involved. The project website, linking to digital resources, case studies and evaluation, contains high quality, useful materials to help inform future cross-sector partnership work.