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Interesting discussion. When I worked at AMNH non-English language labels
were provided when the exhibition content concerned another culture--Spanish
for an exhibition about Cuban biodiversity research and early human fossils
from a site in Spain; Vietnamese handout labels for an exhibition on
Vietnamese culture, etc.

The one language that nobody has mentioned in this context is Braille. Many
of us have been trying for years to convince people who are blind that there
really is something in museums for them. I have talked to members of that
community who say they are so happy to find *anything* written in Braille
that they read it, even a menu!

It is true that not many people who are blind or have low vision can read
Braille, but it is something to worth considering--even for handouts
accompanying an exhibition, as Terri suggests.

People with disabilities do not want to be singled out for special
treatment, e.g., Making a reservation for a touchable tour. They want to be
treated like other visitors, able to access information about exhibits.
Audio tours are not always appropriate because they lack description of the
displays and instructions for how to use interactives. Touch screen
interactives are not accessible if you cannot see where to touch.

Just thought I would add another layer to the discussion!

Ellen Giusti

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