statues in a museum
Museums
 

Under Title III of the ADA regarding public accommodations, museums (along with movie and play houses, restaurants, etc.) are required to be accessible to all persons. Additionally, many museums are funded with tax dollars and further obligated to be accessible.

 

The Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. created an exhibit to illustrate the history of the disability rights movement. The Smithsonian made the exhibit interactive in order to be accessible to people everywhere. The exhibit excellently portrays the right to access as a civil right. Watch the online version by clicking here.

 

Disability History Museum 
This site hosts a searchable library, virtual museum exhibits and curricula, designed to foster research and study surrounding the experiences of people with disabilities.  Search collections that include letters, memoirs, postcards, photos, cartoons and more.  In the Educatioon section you will find essays and  lessons that can be incorporated into high school or college level courses and which explore various historical occurrences from the 1800s. Click here for the Disability History Museum.

 

Audio Tours for Blind
Audio tours for the blind describe the actual object, rather than addressing the creator or history. True audio tours in museums actually assist in leading a blind individual from exhibit to exhibit and emphasize size, shape, color, texture and detail.  The Audio Description Project, an initiative of the American Council of the Blind lists these museums, parks and exhibits that offer this feature (updated October, 2013.) Click here to read the specifics about each entry.  

Alabama

  • Birmingham Museum of Art
  • McWane Science Center
  • US Space and Rocket Center

California

  • Disneyland
  • Disney's California Adventure

District of Columbia

  • The International Spy Museum
  • White House

Florida

  • Walt Disney World/Epcot

Hawaii

  • Arizona Memorial

Illinois

  • Audio Description Illinois, Alliance Library System for audio secription of their library digital images.

New Mexico

  • Albuquerque Museum of Art and History

New York - Monthly programs oriented to people who are blind can be found at these museums.

  • Museum of Modern Art
  • Metropolitan Museum of Art
  • The Jewish Museum
  • The Guggenheim
  • The Rubin Museum of Art

New York

  • Whitney Verbal Descripotion and Touch Tours at Whitney Museumof American Art
  • Statue of Liberty
  • African Burial Ground

North Carolina

  • NC Museum of Art

Tenessee

  • Country Music Hall of Fame
  • The Hermitage

Washington

  • Seattle Art Museum
  • Museum of Flight
  • Bellevue Art Museum
  • Pacific Science Center

Wisconsin

  • Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum