Inclusive Innovations: An Accessible Natural History Experience

From a towering T. rex skeleton to galleries of glittering gemstones, every visitor's journey to the National Museum of Natural History begins with a sense of wonder. But beyond its enchanting exhibits, the museum is committed to creating an inclusive experience where all audiences can enjoy the marvels of the natural world. 

For the tens of thousands of people who wander the museum’s vast halls every day, accessible options and resources are front and center.  From wheelchair accessible exhibitions and entrances, to open captioning on videos and media experiences, NMNH strives to ensure that every visitor can explore all the museum has to offer.

To celebrate the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Smithsonian Voices took a deep dive into four of the museum’s specifically curated, inclusive experiences.  These programs and displays were created by a dedicated team of staffers, each designed to allow all visitors to learn and engage with the museum. 

Describing Dinosaurs

When navigating vast spaces teeming with objects and specimens, visual description tours can act as essential roadmaps for visitors who are blind or have low vision.  These narrated journeys explain the physical details present in an exhibit, describing everything from the levels of light in the halls to the murals lining the display cases.   

With thousands of incredible specimens on display, it may seem like a daunting task to accurately describe all these ancient fossils, deep sea creatures and magnificent minerals. This is why the exhibits team relies on the experts who wrote the exhibit labels in the first place. 

As an exhibit writer at the museum, Juilana Olsson’s job is to know a little bit about everything.  When tasked with creating a visual description app for the museum’s Hall of Fossils – Deep Time, Olsson was able to adapt all the information from the exhibit labels to explain the stories behind the specimens, models, media and displays.  Describing Deep Time proved to be no easy undertaking. Olsson and her colleagues quickly realized they had to depict and interpret objects that would be unfamiliar to most visitors.

The museum’s website currently has four visual description tours available to the public, and Olsson said they are not stopping there. 

“Our goal is to have a visual description tour for every new exhibit from here on out,” Olsson said.  “Our museum is trying to share what we have with the world, and we need to make sure we are presenting it in a way that is accessible to everyone.”

Discovering the Music of The Stars

In an exhibition that is dimly lit with only a handful of tactile objects, it may seem counterintuitive to make the accessibility community a main target audience.  But that was exactly what the exhibits team did when designing “Lights Out: Recovering Our Night Sky,” a photo exhibition that explores the effects of light pollution on the natural world. 

From the earliest planning stages, the exhibits team dedicated resources toward experiences specifically designed for blind, low vision and sensory learners who need more than just sight to process information.  

At one end of the hall, visitors can “discover their night sky” with a display that outlines the Bortle scale, a system that measures the sky's brightness in a particular location.  Enormous photos of the night sky are displayed alongside a kiosk featuring raised, textured versions of the images.  The audio-described tactile experience allows visitors to feel and hear the difference in night sky brightness across in the images and understand how light pollution can affect your ability to see the stars.

The display also has a sonification element, which was developed based on the work of blind astronomer Wanda Diaz-Merced.  Diaz-Merced uses a method that converts the data astronomers receive from cosmic objects into sound, which allows her to process and analyze the figures without needing to see them. 

“Not only is it an important accessibility feature, but it sounds amazing,” Olsson said.  “All of these different pitches and tones come together to make the twinkly music of the stars.” 

Although the accessible display was initially designed for blind and low vision visitors, it has quickly become one of the most popular aspects of the entire exhibition.  The project was an important lesson for the exhibits team, reminding them that experiencing information in new and unique ways can be beneficial for all visitors.

“Getting creative with accessibility and seeing museum objects from completely different perspectives brings a whole new energy to the exhibit experience.”

NMNH’s Historic Building Gets an Accessible Update

On December 15, 2021, the National Museum of Natural History celebrated the installation of new elevated walkways for accessible entry on the National Mall side of the 111-year-old building.  

During a ribbon-cutting ceremony held at NMNH, members of the museum’s leadership and the U.S. Access Board gathered to unveil the two symmetrical walkways.  Rising 13 feet above Madison Drive, with an 8-foot-wide design that allows two-way pedestrian traffic, the walkways ensure that every visitor has easy access to the museum.  

Graded at less than 5% and covered with a vibration-reducing finish, the walkways are designed to create a safe and comfortable experience for visitors with wheeled mobility devices and those using strollers.  

“The walkways were designed with gentle, gradual ascents and intermediate places to rest that will provide a pleasant entry experience for all NMNH visitors including parents with strollers, visitors with wheelchairs and visitors with mobility challenges,” said Chun-Hsi Wong, NMNH’s Associate Director for Operations.

In addition to supporting the museum’s ongoing commitment to accessibility, the design team made sure that the walkways complemented the iconic entrance to the historic museum.  Using a similar granite material to the central staircase and installing a bronze handrail that plays off botanical themes, the walkways have become a statement architectural piece at NMNH’s entrance. 

The project now stands as an important part of the museum’s history, serving as a reminder that all visitors, regardless of ability, have equal access to the inclusive museum space.

Mornings at the Museum

While NMNH prioritizes accessibility in every public space, the museum’s education and outreach team makes sure that there are opportunities for visitors with disabilities to enjoy the exhibitions barrier-free. 

One of the most successful events held at the museum was a collaboration with Access Smithsonian, called “Morning at the Museum.”  Staff opened the museum early to local neurodivergent visitors and their families.   

Educators developed sensory-based activities, answered questions, helped guests explore the museum and gave them access to quiet and darkened spaces before the exhibitions opened to the public. Throughout the morning, over 400 visitors discovered the museum's wonders during a time just for them. 

For Donna Tuggle, the museum’s chief of visitor experience and audience engagement, ensuring that every NMNH visitor has an amazing experience is a top priority. 

“Museums should be places of learning, exploration, relevancy and inclusion,” said Tuggle.  “Ensuring access should be part of the fabric of everything we do as public institutions. Once that is achieved, we will truly be a public museum for all.” 

Related Stories 
Peer Through the Glare to Glimpse the Night Sky in New Smithsonian Exhibition 
Ever Wonder how Exhibits are Made? Here’s Your Answer. 
How Exhibit Writers Tackled Earth’s 4.6 Billion Year History in ‘Deep Time’ 
Try These Hands-on Activities in the Smithsonian’s New Fossil Hall 

Emma Saaty | READ MORE

Emma Saaty is a Science Communications Specialist at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.  She brings science to the public by covering natural history research for Smithsonian Magazine's, Smithsonian Voices.  Additionally, she tracks media coverage and coordinates filming activities for the museum’s Office of Communications and Public Affairs.  Emma recently completed her Bachelor of Science in Biological Anthropology with a minor in Journalism at George Washington University where she conducted research on Virunga mountain gorillas with GW’s Life History and Skeletal Biology laboratory.  You can find her here.