Question for #blind and partially sighted folk on the fediverse:

Question for #blind and partially sighted folk on the fediverse:

If you go to a museum or gallery, do you prefer braille or do you instead use a text to speech app?

(Or both, or something else)

I've got a bit of money to refurbish a small UK museum space with better provisions for Deaf and Blind folk, so I'm keen to know what will be the most useful.

Please Note: This is a question specifically for blind and partially sighted Fedi users, rather than fully sighted folk.

Question for #blind and partially sighted folk on the fediverse:

If you go to a museum or gallery, do you prefer braille or do you instead use a text to speech app?

(Or both, or something else)

I've got a bit of money to refurbish a small UK museum space with better provisions for Deaf and Blind folk, so I'm keen to know what will be the most useful.

Please Note: This is a question specifically for blind and partially sighted Fedi users, rather than fully sighted folk.

@DarkSheepArts I'm sighted enough to walk without a cane and don't use braille normally (thus quite bad at it), but not enough to see "regular" prints in general (like menus etc) Museums in dim lights is where I can more or less see what is being exhibited but none of the texts. I normally use the phone to take photos and zoom it or text to speech. If there's a QR code that sends me directly to the text then that's more convenient.

Question for #blind and partially sighted folk on the fediverse:

If you go to a museum or gallery, do you prefer braille or do you instead use a text to speech app?

(Or both, or something else)

I've got a bit of money to refurbish a small UK museum space with better provisions for Deaf and Blind folk, so I'm keen to know what will be the most useful.

Please Note: This is a question specifically for blind and partially sighted Fedi users, rather than fully sighted folk.

@DarkSheepArts My phone. I already have it with me. Maybe scan a QR, it opens up to an accessible web page with info on, whether that be audio files the user presses play on, or written text which then is spoken via the screen-reader. If you go the latter route, then anyone who does use Braille and happens to have a display with them, such as deafblind can use that.
@jakobrosin thoughts on this? I know you've done similar things.

@DarkSheepArts I'm sighted enough to walk without a cane and don't use braille normally (thus quite bad at it), but not enough to see "regular" prints in general (like menus etc) Museums in dim lights is where I can more or less see what is being exhibited but none of the texts. I normally use the phone to take photos and zoom it or text to speech. If there's a QR code that sends me directly to the text then that's more convenient.

@DarkSheepArts If you do end up going with Braille, keep in mind that English has two Braille grades. Most native speakers will use and prefer grade2, which introduces abbreviations for common English words, prefixes and suffixes, think "have", "would" or "ing". However, many foreign visitors, *even those who both know Braille and can speak English, may not actually know grade 2 English Braille*, and need grade 1, which has no such abbreviations.

In English-speaking countries, it's often assumed that what you want is grade2, but if the place has a lot of foreign visitors specifically, that may not always be the right choice.

@DarkSheepArts I remember visiting The Victor Hugo House, they have a braille+large print map of the museum and a braille+large print (huge) "booklet" in every room for the contents and that was very nice. (A bit clumsy to carry around but their exhibition is permanent so they can afford that better I guess.)

@Onj
@jakobrosin

That's really good to know, and it would link with another project I'm already doing.

There's the risk people will tour without coming in, but I'm happy to risk that. The building the museum is in is the big draw for what I do anyway, so our patrons still most likely want the experience of being here anyway.

Question for #blind and partially sighted folk on the fediverse:

If you go to a museum or gallery, do you prefer braille or do you instead use a text to speech app?

(Or both, or something else)

I've got a bit of money to refurbish a small UK museum space with better provisions for Deaf and Blind folk, so I'm keen to know what will be the most useful.

Please Note: This is a question specifically for blind and partially sighted Fedi users, rather than fully sighted folk.

Question for #blind and partially sighted folk on the fediverse:

If you go to a museum or gallery, do you prefer braille or do you instead use a text to speech app?

(Or both, or something else)

I've got a bit of money to refurbish a small UK museum space with better provisions for Deaf and Blind folk, so I'm keen to know what will be the most useful.

Please Note: This is a question specifically for blind and partially sighted Fedi users, rather than fully sighted folk.

Question for #blind and partially sighted folk on the fediverse:

If you go to a museum or gallery, do you prefer braille or do you instead use a text to speech app?

(Or both, or something else)

I've got a bit of money to refurbish a small UK museum space with better provisions for Deaf and Blind folk, so I'm keen to know what will be the most useful.

Please Note: This is a question specifically for blind and partially sighted Fedi users, rather than fully sighted folk.

Question for #blind and partially sighted folk on the fediverse:

If you go to a museum or gallery, do you prefer braille or do you instead use a text to speech app?

(Or both, or something else)

I've got a bit of money to refurbish a small UK museum space with better provisions for Deaf and Blind folk, so I'm keen to know what will be the most useful.

Please Note: This is a question specifically for blind and partially sighted Fedi users, rather than fully sighted folk.

@DarkSheepArts My phone. I already have it with me. Maybe scan a QR, it opens up to an accessible web page with info on, whether that be audio files the user presses play on, or written text which then is spoken via the screen-reader. If you go the latter route, then anyone who does use Braille and happens to have a display with them, such as deafblind can use that.
@jakobrosin thoughts on this? I know you've done similar things.

@SRLevine @pawpower

I'm happy to hear from anyone - my money is ringfenced, so I have to be relatively specific in terms of spending it on Blind and Deaf folk, but aside from that all information is an asset.

Question for #blind and partially sighted folk on the fediverse:

If you go to a museum or gallery, do you prefer braille or do you instead use a text to speech app?

(Or both, or something else)

I've got a bit of money to refurbish a small UK museum space with better provisions for Deaf and Blind folk, so I'm keen to know what will be the most useful.

Please Note: This is a question specifically for blind and partially sighted Fedi users, rather than fully sighted folk.

Question for #blind and partially sighted folk on the fediverse:

If you go to a museum or gallery, do you prefer braille or do you instead use a text to speech app?

(Or both, or something else)

I've got a bit of money to refurbish a small UK museum space with better provisions for Deaf and Blind folk, so I'm keen to know what will be the most useful.

Please Note: This is a question specifically for blind and partially sighted Fedi users, rather than fully sighted folk.

@DarkSheepArts I am deafblind and I always love it when museums have braille. Obviously audio is a very little used to me. It is especially cool if they have tactile drawings or models of the things they are showing.

@DarkSheepArts @SRLevine @pawpower

You might want to contact VocalEyes, they might be able to help you stretch your $$$.

https://vocaleyes.co.uk/services/museums-galleries-and-heritage/

@pawpower

That makes sense.

Tactile drawings and other things of the ilk are in the plan too - I don't know if you're in the US or UK, but I'm going to shamelessly steal all the good work that Bletchley Park have done in their new exhibits.