Accessible Resources now available at Leicester Museums

Leicester Museums & Galleries have introduced a new set of resources for our visitors with sight and hearing impairments.

For visitors with hearing impairment, there are new welcome videos in British Sign Language at the entrance to Newarke Houses and Leicester Museum & Art Gallery. At Newarke Houses, visitors can also enjoy films presented in British Sign Language that introduce the Toys and Regimental galleries, and also the 1950s Street Scene. Visitors can access the BSL films by using their own smartphones to scan QR codes in the galleries.

For visitors with visual impairment, there is an audio-descriptive introduction to Leicester Museum & Art Gallery, plus an audio-descriptive guide to the museum’s Life and Death in Ancient Egypt Gallery. 3D replica models of museum objects have been introduced to the Dinosaur and Ancient Egypt galleries, made specifically for visitors with visual impairment to touch and handle. Visitors can access the audio guides by using their own smartphones to scan QR codes in the museum.

These new resources have been introduced so that Leicester’s Museums & Galleries are more welcoming and accessible for our visitors with sight and hearing impairments, and to provide all visitors with better access to the galleries and collections using digital technologies. Find out more about these available resources below:

British Sign Language Welcome Screens

Visitors to Newarke Houses and Leicester Museum & Art Gallery can view a welcome screen presented in British Sign Language, at the entrance of both museums.

British Sign Language Gallery Guides at Newarke Houses

Watch British Sign Language guides to the Toys and Regimental galleries, and discover the fascinating history of the museum buildings and collections. Also watch short films presented in BSL of conversations in a grocers shop and a pub from the 1950s Street Scene.

 

The guides can be accessed by scanning QR codes in the galleries with a smartphone, or view them at the links below.

• Toy Gallery Guide - British Sign Language
• Regimental Gallery Guide - British Sign Language
• 1950s Grocers Scene - British Sign Language
• 1950s Pub Scene - British Sign Language

Audio Descriptive Guides for Leicester Museum & Art Gallery

An audio descriptive introduction to Leicester Museum & Art Gallery, made for our visitors with visual impairment:

 

An audio descriptive guide to the Life and Death in Ancient Egypt Gallery, made for our visitors with visual impairment:

Replica Models for Dinosaur and Ancient Egypt Galleries

Replica models of museum objects have been introduced in galleries at Leicester Museum & Art Gallery, made for visitors with visual impairment to touch and handle.

A replica model of a fossilised Chirotherium footprint is available to touch in the Dinosaur Gallery, allowing visitors to "hold hands" with this extinct reptile from 240 million years ago.

 

 

Two replica models of a bronze cat statuette have been introduced in the Ancient Egypt Gallery, made for visitors to touch and handle the fine details of an Ancient Egyptian possession from the family home.

 

 

These replica models were produced in collaboration with 3D printing specialists Printotype. Both the Chirotherium Footprint and Cat Statuette were scanned to produce digital 3D models of them in great detail. The digital models were then adapted to be made suitable for handling, and 3D printed to produce replica models of the originals.

Using digital technologies like this brings the museum collections to life in new ways, and enables visitors to get closer access; to touch and handle these ancient museum artefacts 

 

Large Print Resources for Learning Workshops

A set of large print learning resources are also available on request for our Colourful Portraits and Life in Ancient Egypt learning workshops at Leicester Museum & Art Gallery. Visit our Curriculum Enrichment Activities page for further information.

 

The project has been funded as part of Leicester Museums & Galleries programme of activity funded by Arts Council England as a National Portfolio Organisation.