[Artbeyondsightmuseums] Thoughts on Audio Tour Access

[Barry Ginley]

Hi Tina

As you have highlighted there are many ways to deliver information and to date I haven't found a system which covers all bases.

Kendra's suggestion, using QR codes has been used in an Australian museum to trigger signed video clips for deaf people and could be beneficial to trigger audios. The Hall of Patriots Place in New England has a multi media guide which sinks with interactives, automatically sinks films with audio descriptions in the auditorium but does not have an audio menu to select the tour and the trigger points around the museum are poorly placed. If the menu and placements could be corrected this would be one of the best guides available.

At the V&A, we are investigating a project Guide Dogs for the Blind are developing, where the visitor downloads an ap and when they come near one of our touch objects the ap triggers an information audio. At present, this is only in the concept stage, I would also like to add in directional information but one step at a time.

We are currently using Pen Friend for visitors who do not have smart phones and we have downloadable MP3s from our web site. The museum does have free wireless which can assist when downloading.

I hope this helps.

Barry
-----Original Message-----
From: Artbeyondsightmuseums [mailto:artbeyondsightmuseums-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tina Hansen via Artbeyondsightmuseums
Sent: 31 July 2014 17:15
To: Access to Art Museums
Subject: [Artbeyondsightmuseums] Thoughts on Audio Tour Access

I've been reading up on the state of audio tours in museums, so I want to add some thoughts and ask some questions.

From what I've seen, most audio tours at museums go for one of two approaches: Either the audio content is keyed to stop numbers, or the material is location-based.

Both types have benefits and drawbacks. On the former, a blind user needs to bring someone with them to get the right stop numbers. Yet there is incredible random access and the content is interactive.

On the loction-based units, the blind person can travel alone or with a friend, but they nave no control over what content gets played.

I know of one site, the Bristol museums and Galleries, that has gotten around that by using the Pen Friend audio labeler The user can travel alone or with a friend, and they need only find the label to trigger audio. I also like this because the content can be broken down.

Other audio tours use a cell phone number, but I don't like to hold a cell phone to my ear for long periods of time.

Has anyone designed an audio tour framwork or system that allows the blind museum visitor to take the tour either alone or with a companion, while also giving the user full control over content? If so, how are you addressing these issues? Thanks.
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