[Artbeyondsightmuseums] Tour with Guide Book Access

[Tina Hansen]

Has anyone gone through an event where they got a printed or Braille guide 
book?

The church I attend is doing just that for a prayer experience in the weeks 
leading up to Easter weekend. To give you an idea of what's it's like, here 
are the instructions at the beginning.

Welcome to the Lent Prayer Experience.



This book will guide you through 10 stations of confession, fasting,  and 
worship.



A couple of instructions for you:



Go at your own pace, but be aware of others around you, leaving  room for 
them to have their own pace and space.



This is meant to be walked slowly and thoughtfully as you listen to  God 
through His Word and allow His Spirit to guide and prompt you  in prayer.



This is meant to be a silent experience, so please refrain from 
conversation.



This experience is set up as a labyrinth. A labyrinth is a way to  enter 
into intentional and reflective prayer and is a metaphor for our  spiritual 
journey. It is a single path leading to the center of the  design and back 
out again. Unlike a maze, a labyrinth is designed for  ease of navigation, 
and it is impossible to get lost within one. The  labyrinth path has 3 
stages:



The inward journey: As we walk to the center, we are letting go of the 
things that hinder our relationship with God.  Today, this inward journey 
will be about personal confession.



The center: Our center is God alone. At the center, you will have 
opportunity for worship.



The outward journey: As you make your way out of the labyrinth, you are 
walking back into your life, empowered by the  Spirit. You are reminded of 
your call to bring His glory to our  broken world.



After these instructions, the guide book has them going to 10 stations. For 
the most part, all the text is in the guide book, but at one station, there 
are additional instructions at various places on the wall. If I am not able 
to read these, the experience is incomplete.



I am able to work with the main text, since I am a Braille reader, but I may 
need another set of eyes to fill in the missing material.



There is also the issue of the path itself. I only know what is in the guide 
book. If I bring someone, they might be able to help me stay oriented.



It seems that this church could use some guidance on how to design similar 
experiences like this with accessibility in mind.



I want to find good solutions for the one they're doing right now, since I 
plan to take part in it when it's open. In addition, I want to work with 
them on how to design future experiences with accessibility in mind. They 
might have a few good ideas, but I also want to hear from all of you. Any 
suggestions? Thanks.