Accessible Tours – Titanic Belfast Provides New Accessible Tour for People with Vision Impairments
Titanic Belfast, a new €116.2m, attraction in Northern Ireland, has opened 100 yards from where the ill-fated liner was launched a century ago. The 14,000 square metre (150,695 square foot) building accommodates nine interpretative galleries that will transport visitors back to post-Edwardian Belfast to explore the history of and story behind Titanic.
Titanic Belfast is designed to be a multi-sensory exhibition and it aims to ensure that all visitors’ access requirements are fully met. This does not only relate to the built environment, it also includes how information is provided and ensuring all tours are accessible. For example, as part of their commitment to meet the requirements of all users, Titanic Belfast have recently launched an audio described audio guide which is available on all 300 players on-site. The 80 minute tour is widely accessible and allows visitors with visual impairments to visit Titanic Belfast and gain as much information as sighted visitors. The tour gives in-depth visual descriptions of objects, the galleries and the ambiance of the venue. The same actors narrate both of the tours so the differences are minimal for either visitor.
The script was developed and then walked through with some blind volunteers, which allowed for tweaks to be made to the commentaries and enhancements to be made to some of the descriptions - highlighting the importance of good consultation.
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