Interpreting Portraiture Collections

• Toolkit Homepage
• Interpretation - for whom?
• Interpretation - how?
• Interpretation - of what?
• Further reading and resources
• Beningborough Hall Case Study
• Acknowledgements
• Return to main Toolkits page

People with Special Educational Needs

As well as providing an accessible environment for visitors with disabilities, consider inviting them to contribute interpretation from their own perspective about the portrayal of disability in the portraits you display.

Physical

• Follow best practice guidelines for height and font size for all captions and other text
• When providing handling materials have trays that will rest on arms of wheelchairs
• Ensure anything visitors should pick up - leaflets, books etc - are wheelchair accessible.

Reference: http://www.mla.gov.uk/website/policy/Diversity/Disability_Portfolio/

Sensory

• Provide handling materials for visually impaired visitors
• Make artworks accessible to touch, either originals or high quality copies
• Soundguides, including picture descriptions
• Make all interactives with needs of sensory impaired visitors in mind, including high tech interactives
• Text in large print (and, if possible, also in Braille)

Reference: http://www.rnib.org.uk

Reference: http://www.mla.gov.uk/website/policy/Diversity/Disability_Portfolio/

See also Beningbrough Case Study.

Intellectual

Provide:

• Handling materials
• Picture quizzes with images and no text
• Activities such as dressing up and mirrors
• Drawing materials (need to be monitored and replenished)

Sheets like this with pictures but no words from the New Art Gallery Walsall can provide people with learning difficulties with an enjoyable matching game in a display of portraits.

Linguistic

• Whether speakers of English as an additional language or with limited English for any other reason, use continuous text with simple grammatical constructions, low reading level, common words and not too many polysyllabic words
• Where appropriate translate text into other languages

Return to the list of audience types.