King’s Business School’s Dr Katharina C. Husemann will lead the next phase of a ground-breaking research project that’s reshaping how museums approach accessibility and inclusion for blind and partially sighted (BPS) visitors.
Now in its second phase, the Layers of Vision project is setting a new benchmark for co-production in museum accessibility and has been awarded £47,570 by the One King’s Impact Fund. The Fund has allocated over £500,000 across nine projects to deliver innovative solutions to global challenges.
The project builds on the success of the original Layers of Vision exhibition co-designed at King’s College London in 2022. Phase two takes this work further by co-producing practical guidance, training and teaching materials aimed at embedding inclusive design across the UK’s cultural institutions.
Around 100 museum professionals from 40-50 institutions will receive training through a series of 10 co-designed workshops, equipping them with practical tools such as soundscapes, tactile interventions and co-produced audio descriptions to make exhibitions more inclusive. Accessibility will also be embedded into higher education, with postgraduate students studying in the Department of Culture, Media & Creative Industries receiving an ‘access toolbox’ and seminar to support inclusive curatorial practice.
At the heart of the programme is a commitment to co-production with the principle that solutions should be designed with, not just for, the communities they serve. Despite widespread recognition of the importance of access in cultural settings, current guidance rarely includes lived experience or practical pathways to implementation.
Dr Husemann recently led a pop-up exhibition with collaborator Professor Anica Zeyen and Dr Leighanne Higgins at Portcullis House in Westminster on behalf of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Eye Health and Vision Impairment. The event, supported by the King’s College London ESRC Impact Acceleration Account, brought together policymakers, museum professionals, sector support bodies and sight loss organisations to collaboratively develop policy recommendations. This work, which was put on in partnership with King’s Culture, Shape Arts and Zoe Partington highlights the project’s growing national relevance and its alignment with government priorities on accessibility and equity in the arts.
