@DarkSheepArts I think that's what it's about is trying things and considering cheap/affordable options.

Often 'assistive tech' people/companies can scare everyone into thinking anything less than £1000+ tech is not disability-accessible, but in the last 15 years especially there is more and more ubiquitous accessibility in mainstream tech and a lot of usable old tech for cheap/free if you know where to find it and can bash it into use.

@DarkSheepArts Yeah 1990s buildings in many ways are nicer than mid2000s onwards ones, except the sodding spotlights!

@DarkSheepArts And again, if someone has the raw text in an easy to access way, then they can use their own device with whatever tech they prefer.

But I know not everyone does have/use tech but it is increasingly common and sometimes a cheap device can be a thing the museum hands out, like those audio tours (an area I'm deafishly ignorant of for obv reasons).

@DarkSheepArts Yeah, often museums don't have much building control or it's not cheaply/easily fixable. Also most people seem hideously clueless about lighting, especially architects (not my fave species of professional).

Another issue can be that exhibits can't be lit for conservation reasons, although I know some museums will do bookable out-of-hours tours for blind/low vision people with temporary brighter lighting or touch-options under supervision (or a replica for touching).

@DarkSheepArts Yeah, where funds are tight it can be trying to be as flexible as you can and getting best bang for your buck.

I've run grassroots stuff where I read out audio myself in addition to critical web text content to ensure no one had an excuse for not trying to engage with our event's code of conduct (which was a bit long but necessarily so).

I don't know what the legal licencing text-to-speech audio options are for a 'commercial' albeit small org.

@Jueltrae @aeva I'm pretty sure you can programme Phonak aids with the NOAH software https://www.himsa.com/himsa_download/noah-download-form/downloads-for-noah-es-client-noah-system/installing-noah-system-for-the-first-time/ (reinstall every 45 days to keep it free).

The thing I don't know is how to connect Phonaks to your computer, I am wondering if standard bluetooth works now but Google isn't helping. I don't have standard hearing aids myself.

@Jueltrae I do understand. Hearing aid manufacturers do not make it easy for us to reprogramme them. Even in the UK with less evil DRM and restrictions on 'hacking' our own tech, hearing aids are medical devices and can only be sold and officially configured by accredited providers.

Also hearing aid manufacturers (half are a cartel https://www.thebignewsletter.com/p/silencing-the-competition-inside) spend half their lives suing one another for breaching one another's patents so also make it hard to 'hack' for open sourceness.

@DarkSheepArts At work (a uni) we have a deafblindness course and I found https://mh.bmj.com/content/50/4/610 while in a deafblindness resource rabbithole.

Not necessarily for direct copying but to give you some ideas to consider. A dear blind friend of mine had some personalised tours in the USA and he's got some blogposts https://catchthesewords.com/hands-on-with-ancient-history-at-the-british-museum/ annoyingly I can't find Connor's video about his US trip museums which may be on the TikTok which I don't have a login for so can't scroll thru.

@DarkSheepArts So as others have said, ensure the standard labels/text is as clear/big as possible and well lit. I like the external booklet option in larger print as I might sit down and read that in a better lit area.

I should say I'm deaf so audio is useless to me, but valuable for many.

I love the idea of QR code to online version of info in a nice flexible format so people can then use their existing assistive tech to enable them to have access e.g. smartphone, or Braille device.

@DarkSheepArts I have vision issues related to vertigo, so technically my visual acuity is excellent (with glasses) but in practice it's very situational. I often find in museums that the labels/info text is too small or just hard to read in the lighting. I find spotlighting horrible cos it's not consistent and it'll white-out some stuff or be too bright while other stuff is too dim to see.

I work in general disability/accessibility and my advice would be 'as accessible as possible by design'

@Jueltrae sorry, on phone hit send too soon.

A friend reprograms his own aids but he's unusually techie.

Much sympathy for how crap some audiology is. Can you ask for referral to 'complex fitting needs' person, some clinics have them. Or get them to prebook regular review appts after fitting.

I'm v aware my audiologist is a super star

@Jueltrae I believe the NOAH software to setup many hearing aids in the UK is free, but the connectors cost £150ish. Altho looking again it has a free trial now.