Tip of the day
When booking rooms in Europe remember that the first floor does not mean the ground floor. Europeans refer to one level above ground level as the first floor. Americans would refer to it as the second floor. Be sure to clarify with the hotel that there is an elevator even if the room is on the first floor.News
* The Berlinische Galerie Museum of Modern Art in Berlin, Germany is among the first in Europe to make special exhibits accessible to blind and visually impaired visitors.
Museum staff have created self-guided tours to facilitate independent exploration that includes exhibition plans in large print and Braille, floor markings integrated into the route and an audio guide for a special exhibition, “Vienna Berlin. The Art of Two Cities. From Schiele to Grosz”. Additionally, visitors have the opportunity to take tactile tours and discover the exhibition with their senses. Several plaster replications were made of the artwork on display and the museum will also allow visually impaired visitors the exclusive opportunity to touch one of the original sculptures on display under guidance.
The Berlinische Galerie is working to ensure full disabled access. The museum is already free of physical barriers: the entrance and all exhibition and function rooms are equally open to visitors in a wheelchair. Booking and information: museumsinformation@kulturprojekte-berlin.de; telephone: 247 49 888
* The Palais de la découverte in Paris has an exhibit about ants that is completely accessible. The exhibit, Mille Milliards
de Fourmis, includes a combination of giant wood models of different ants and their eggs with magnifying glasses and braille panels to aide the visually impaired. There is also audio to accompany the exhibits and tours in French sign language (LSF) are available.
Museum officials say: "the exhibition has been designed taking into account the diversity of all ages to ensure an accessible environment. Audiovisual are worked according to the principles of universal design and summarizes the thematic areas of exposure. It is aimed at all audiences, persons hearing impaired, low vision, blindness, or people with cognitive difficulties. All texts are written in Braille. Models and models in relief help to understand the organization of the ants and the details of their morphology. " The exhibit will appeal to adults and children alike and runs through August 24, 2014. Tel : 33 (0)1 56 43 20 20.