To mark the International Day of People with Disability on December 3, the Australian National Maritime Museum has announced it has made the Ocean Photographer of the Year exhibition more accessible by including integrated audio description and additional accessibility resources within the exhibition, designed for blind or partially sighted visitors.
This initiative includes audio description of the 12 winning images (produced by Popcorn Logistics), 8 tactile images and a large print and Braille guide of the exhibition (all created by Vision Australia).
As a photographic exhibition, Ocean Photographer of the Year prioritises sightedness over other senses as a vehicle through which the stories and images can be experienced. This new initiative will widen the scope of people who are able to enjoy this exhibition and experience.
Open now until April 2025, this exhibition features spectacular images which highlight the beauty and majesty of the ocean, while also drawing attention to the trauma faced by our marine environments and the importance of ocean conservation.
Annalice Creighton, Programs and Activations Coordinator, has said 'As a museum, we make most exhibitions for a diverse audience, and we are accustomed to embedding multimodality and multimedia in how we design a show. However, with a primarily visual exhibition such as Ocean Photographer of the Year, it is important that we increase the opportunity for accessibility and the enjoyment of this exhibition for as many people as possible.'
Ms Daryl Karp AM, Director and CEO of the Museum said, 'The Ocean Photographer of the Year exhibition is one of our most popular exhibitions and highlights an often-unseen perspective of marine life and environments, and it is vital that these kinds of stories are accessible to as many audiences as possible. We are excited to be trialling this new initiative to allow people to experience this incredible exhibition in a variety of new ways.'
