Museum Audio Description Route for Visually Impaired Audience Construction Process Case Study: Museum Siam

Abstract

The research, Museum Audio Description Route for Visually Impaired Audience Construction Process Case Study: Museum Siam, aimed to study and transcribe the knowledge of audio description route construction for accessibility of visually impaired audience to museum. This research employed the action research methodology, with the qualitative research methodology by utilizing the methods of document analysis, participant observation, and personal interviews.

The results showed that the construction process of the audio description route in the museum was composed of 7 processes; audio description route planning, details and dimensions measurement, audio description script writing, script verifying and revising, voice recording, and file implanting to the audio guide equipment, route testing with the visually impaired audience, and arranging the workshop for the museum officers. Through these 7 processes, 3 stakeholders collaborated; the museum, the researcher, and the private organization taking care of the vocal file production. The entire process spanned 6 months. The longest period was in the audio description script writing process. The researcher designed the route to be in 2 audio descriptive formats: the recorded audio description listened from the audio guide device and the live audio description performed by the museum officers in case of the live atmosphere, and the interactive displays and actions where the audio description could not be scripted and recorded.

Besides, the results also revealed that the visually impaired audience requested more tactile objects which could be either the real displayed object, or the model, braille information, and QR code for them to scan and get the additional information. These demands correlated with the concept of the Self-Guided Touch Tour – the visually impaired audience gets through the museum by themselves. Meanwhile, the visually impaired audience was interested in the interactive displays in some rooms, yet with the interactive and live audio description performed by the museum officers which correlated with the concept of Guided Touch Tour – the museum tour led by the museum officers. According to the results, the audio description route in the museum should combine the concept of Self-Guided and Guided Touch Tours. The museum should prepare appropriate media, including the audio-described route, to achieve accessibility in both information and enjoyment, aligning with the concept of inclusive tourism.