I answered a question like this two weeks ago I’m gonna try to Poste my reply here:


I recently became blind and I live near DC so I spent a Tonna time in museums. Sadly most layouts are not standard traditional layout so it might be very hard for a blind person to navigate them for example the art museum here in DC is kind of set up like an IKEA where you come in in one way and go out another way but it’s almost never the same way so it would be super hard just to navigate on your own. I mention this because I know for a fact the sensors are extremely sensitive on these paintings in fact I’ve seen a kid run up the wall and set off the alarm because he just ran up really hard and put his hands on the wall. They would have to create some sort of boundary so we can use our canes on the floor and not get anywhere near the walls, kind of like a small curve around the sensitive artwork and displays.

Once we figure that out we would need an app or something that can read a QR code or a barcode near the piece of art or display. This will bring up a narrator that will give you a general description of the artist the time. It was created and a good overview of the piece of art including style texture color palette etc. etc.. if the user decides he can get more information about the artist the time. Or just generally more pieces of art just like this one. And also in order not to disturb others you would need to use headphones in order to use the app because sadly we all know Karen’s going to be blasting her voice over description of the painting while others are trying to enjoy artwork in the same room. And I know it would be a huge undertaking but if this app could work across multiple museums that would be amazing. These things could be done way easier if the museum is built with accessibility in mind from the start.

Damn I miss going to museums but you could always have a good friend take you and give you a tour that way.

If you are trying to think of creative ways to supplement audio description, you might want to consider including tactile representations of the artwork that is on display. In response to a similar thread, I put together $1 of a museum display at the $1 in Concepción, Chile. In it, you can see paintings and their tactile representations, along with the mobility aids that have been added to the room to facilitate navigation from painting to painting.

Audio guides are the only way I can enjoy a museum or art gallery.

This may be obvious to other low-vision people and not totally relevant but I'll say this just in case. In order to be an accessbility feature for blind and partially sighted people, audio guides need to 1--be free and 2--include EVERYTHING included on all written signs verbatim. Anything else is a huge slap in the face and I feel like garbage for the rest of the day.

As for your questions
1--I wouldn't say the audio guide itself is enjoyable, but like I said it is the only way I can enjoy a museum. Listening to the description should be as "enjoyable" as reading it--the content is the interesting part, not the delivery method.
2--I personally have no issues with headphones and any other delivery method I can think of seems less helpful (a speaker would be hard to hear and a bother to others, etc)
3--As long as the device is simple enough and doesn't have any accessibility issues itself (buttons are too small to read or don't have braille/some other tactile indicators) I personally wouldn't mind using another device. Using my own is more consistently since I have it set up to best accommodate me and I'm used to using it. On the other hand, I don't always carry headphones, and physical buttons are easier than a smartphone's touchscreen.

>thinking about whether there is room for creativity along with audio description

I am curious what you mean by "creativity" here. I don't think audio guides should have any extra creativity. I want it to give me the same experience a sighted person would have, and that is a simple, effortless interaction with the exhibits.

OH this is for me, thanks for asking! I spend time in museums and galleries every week, all over the world. Some random thoughts:

- Germany has a large number of museums and galleries. Generally there is good lighting, easy accessible steps or lifts, understanding of issues. As an example, I was in a very popular gallery on the weekend for a new installation. There was a crowd of people 4-5 deep, about 2-3 metres from the actual installation. I was hesitant to move closer, so I asked the young lady at reception. Her response was 'just go as close as you need, if anyone says anything I'll come over. You're entitled to enjoy as much as anyone!'

- in Germany head sets, audio guides, own phone etc are all very common and used, usually at no charge. vs the US where they don't seem common, and/or at high cost

- Germany has also a lot of interactive art ie music and projections, lighting shows, etc. Dark Matter in Berlin is just one example, but for those people can enjoy multi sensory

- Germany usually also labels in German, English, AND simplified German for accessibility to a broader audience

- the US is diverse, but ranks on my list quite often as BAD. I had an experience at one of the Smithsonian museums which was frankly shocking considering how progressive the US claims to be. No tactile strips on stairs, or in front of displays, no coloured edges on escalator steps, no audio guide, no lifts as alternative to escalator, and I was shouted at because I didn't read the signage for things like limiting number of people in a room, directional signage, and limits on how close one could approach the display. Horrible. Really unpleasant and when I brought it up to the manager they admitted they have a lot of complaints in what is a relatively new museum. BAD.

- Diversity in art is important. I am attracted to contemporary art, installations, and sculpture because I can see those things. Germany again has a massive collection so there is always something I can enjoy

- low cost or free - again, very common in Germany, with lots of outdoor installations and exhibits free of charge, and many galleries and museums free of charge, or free days, or reduced costs

- Canada is also on the generally BAD list. Unhelpful staff, dark dim lighting, refusal to allow people to use lifts, etc

- Japan is on the 'quite decent' list. So is much of Europe. Parts of Asia and Africa have also some ok experiences.

Feel free to ask more specifics, this is definitely a topic I kno w very, very well and appreciate your asking.

Sorry me again....

In Germany we also have government exhibits, either from the federal government , or a party.

I love the Willy Brandt house, which is being rebuilt right now. But they have a temporary home. There are buttons to push which play his key speeches at a loud voice, so one can listen to them whilst going around the exhibit. I really enjoy that.

The Karl Marx Haus is owned and run by the SPD, and may be the most beautiful history/political museum I've ever seen. There are 'photo albums' which combine tactile photos with electronic 'photos' and info. The text is often written in beautiful LARGE 'handwriting' and I can actually read much of it. There is a chair where one can sit, and his voice comes on with a three minute explanation.

Neither of those have an audio guide (I don't think the Karl Marx Haus does, I've not used it) but they are so interactive and display things in such a diverse way that I can really enjoy.

Haus der Musik in Stuttgart is another good one - historical museum about musical instruments with so much interactive, tactile, etc. There were three couples of us just playing for hours when we visited on a winter weekday.

I'm visually impaired and autistic. I would love qr codes to a description and high res photo of what I'm looking at so I can scan and enlarge text/images. If a place is noisy or echo-y the audio descriptions are pointless for me and they almost never include every exhibit and aren't always available to use. The signs just make me have to stand too close to the exhibit so I'm either in the way or getting told off by security for being too close - especially when the sign is tiny and/or way behind a roped off exhibit (why?!). I LOVE museums but paying a steep entry fee for exhibits that aren't accessible means I rarely go.

Went down to Springfield Lincoln museum. The thing that really hit hard was the lighting in some areas. It's a tour that takes you around the place where different areas invoke the past of Lincoln. Cool but annoying.

The plaques where also hard to read. I dont know brail but I don't think they had that option regardless.

I also stepped in front of people observing display cases. Not intentional but still embarrassing.

Depends on where I’m at and who I’m with. I have loss of peripheral vision. I use a cane so I don’t bump into things not because I can’t see what’s in front of me I can’t see what’s next to me. That said, I was at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and some the art had Braille signage.

I don’t really go to the museum. But I have been a few times with school. I remember in primary school going to the VOC in Amsterdam it’s a maritime museum. It was a great experience because we went on the boat and we were really involved and the tour guide spoke about it with passion. We didn’t go inside the building so didn’t look at the paintings.

Few months ago I went to see a Bob Ross gallery and it was wonderful because I was able to actually stand in front of the paintings although it is annoying with other people around because I take longer to look at it.

I prefer museums were I can do something where I can really take my time. Looking at paintings isn’t for me because I’m colorblind.

I never used an audio tour and idk if I would like it I think this is different for everyone. I hope that by sharing some of my experiences you can pick something up.

Have you read The Visual Made Verbal by Dr. Joel Snyder?

A pretty decent resource for many of the questions you are asking.

Also, at several conferences even before the pandemic, many in the visually impaired community express doubt with most venues' ability to keep equipment sufficiently sanitary. A generally good option is one that doesn't require more than the price of admission for anyone else; maybe allows the use of one's personally owned device.

You are already following a primary rule in AD: *nothing for us without us*; meaning include the community throughout the stages of development.

I visited Paris with a group. My museum experiences were a combination of friend’s explaining things/reading the typed descriptions, a hand-held audio guide, and tactile exploration. I don’t really remember if I had preferences between friends or the audio guides, which means my brain stored these memories as if they were typical experiences without anything odd/extraordinary. What I remember most was getting to touch The Kiss at the Rodin museum. Come to think of it, the tactile experiences are my most memorable ones. I think I’d rather have an audio guide I could access on my own device, with my own earbuds. One problem of museum provided audio guides is that the headphones are usually clunky or there simply aren’t ones.