The British Museum has audio description features on their online collections, known as COMPASS.
This website tour features audio description of twenty objects from the collections. Artefacts are described in such detail so as to enable blind or partially sighted people to have a deeper appreciation and understanding of the item being discussed.
The Department of Learning and Information commissioned Vocaleyes to help the Museum construct this tour. Experienced describers wrote the texts in conjunction with the Museum's curators. Links on each page allow you to listen to the audio (mp3) or download it onto your computer. You are of course invited to put them on a portable mp3 player / iPod and visit the objects in the Museum's galleries.
The British Museum have also introduced a similar facility, Children’s COMPASS, which has been designed from the outset with blind and partially sighted users in mind. A text-only version of most screens enables screen-readers to browse. Children aged 7-11 can browse hundreds of fascinating Museum artefacts and take tours on a wide range of subjects, including key topics from the National Curriculum.
Other provision includes thermal images and Braille books, located next to seating areas, and a handling session where visitors can touch objects under supervision. Contact the British Museum’s Access Officer – Jane Samuels for further information and the date of the handling session: jsamuels@thebritishmuseum.ac.uk
For further details on either of the above projects, please email chowitt@thebritishmuseum.ac.uk