Published on 12, July, 2020
Hello
I work for a museum in Nottingham and I would like to make our school programme and general visitor programme more accessible to everyone. I would be really interested to hear people's experiences visiting museums good and bad. What things can museums do to make visits more enjoyable?
I am also currently putting together a ASD friendly pack that school groups or families can use when they are on site. What would be useful to put into this pack.
Any thoughts or advice would be very welcome.
Best wishes
Naomi
Every child (and adult) with ASD is different.
Our big thing is finding quiet and restful spots to stop on our way around big venues, plus good signage to areas so we can go to one gallery or specific place on a short visit.
QR code on displays to scan for more information... special interests can stretch my ability to search the internet
Floor maps and web information to let us plan trips.
I'm not ASD, but my DCD affects hearing so echoey spaces can be painful. I usually remember ear plugs but selling them would be another option.
If you have a cafe, please serve all sauces and dressings on the side...my SD likes to control how much sauce she put in her chips
It's the little comments that count .. I can't stand my plate covered in gravy.
I have been thinking how to answer this but was concentrating on the pack.
I went to a museum this week which had been newly refurbished. I was with 2 other people. I am interested and I enjoyed it but I scan round quite quickly and they were looking in detail and needed twice the time. The museum was good because it was fairly open, light and airy. It was arranged on the one hand in floors of time scale but on each floor was broken down into small sections. The display information was good; it included labels, basic description in large letters, detailed description and then audio visual which is what I was attracted to these were also dual/treble aspect a few minutes each of adult factual , cartoon/animated and something else can't remember. Lots of places to sit down. Areas to be quiet. Then there were lots of interactive things to do going round the exhibitions some for children some for adults. I did get confused about how to get round. I've also been to quite a few National Trust and English Heritage Properties. The English Heritage ones are usually easier for me. They are clutter free so more spacious and use the audio visual again with large writing for the written display.