National Gallery Disability Equality Scheme
Page 2 of 3
3. Progress against objectives and Action plan
The Gallery has completed the first ten years of its on-going programme to improve physical and intellectual access for disabled people to its collection and ancillary facilities. It aims to continue the programme in all areas and to update and increase provision as resources allow.
Physical access
The Gallery seeks to provide all visitors with equal access to the building, making alternative provision where necessary, within the constraints of a Grade One Listed Building. It ensures that current and future building projects provide appropriate physical access for all visitors.
General maintenance and improvements to the Gallery's buildings
Progress against objectives to 2006
The Gallery commissions building access audits as necessary to keep abreast of new technology etc. The first audit was carried out in 1999 by the Joint Mobility Unit of the RNIB and the GDBA. The second, carried out by Tuffin, Ferraby & Taylor, was completed in 2004. An annual sum is set aside from the building budget and a five-year plan has been drawn up to carry forward the resulting recommendations. This process will continue.
In 2006, improvements were made to the parking bay for those with disabilities at the back of the building on Orange Street including clearer signage; a handrail was installed in Jubilee Walk and modifications were made to the Sainsbury Wing arcade to improve wheelchair access and to the toilet in the Sainsbury Wing including the replacement of heavy doors.
Plans for 2007 onwards
- Picture galleries: provide some seating with arms or fit arms to the existing benches;
- Main building stairs from main floor to Lower Gallery A: reduce the circumference of the wall-mounted handrail to make it easier to grasp; increase light levels;
- Sainsbury Wing main stairs: investigate possibility of providing a central handrail; extend handrails across landings where possible;
- Education centre: stairs from main to second floor: provide an easily grasped wall-mounted handrail;
- Accessible lavatory on lower ground floor: provide soap and towel dispensers within easy reach of the WC; provide a second larger recessed basin for rinsing equipment;
- Sainsbury Wing cinema: provide additional higher seating with arms and backrests;
- Sainsbury Wing lecture theatre: improve contrast between nosings, treads and risers on stairs; alter profile of handrails on main stairs and stairs to stage to make them easier to grasp;
- Sainsbury Wing conference rooms: provide some seating with arms.
New projects
The Gallery seeks when planning new projects to ensure that the needs of those with disabilities are borne in mind from the start.
Progress against objectives to 2006
At the outset of its most recent major building project, the Gallery took on a consultant from Tuffin, Ferraby & Taylor to monitor the project before and during construction to ensure, as far as possible equality of access for all. The recently completed East Wing scheme provided direct wheelchair access to the main building and to the pictures on the main floor. It also provided space for ArtStart which has considerably widened access for all visitors to information about the collection.
Plans for 2007 onwards
A major refurbishment of the Café in the Gallery's main building has been completed following a change of operator. The Gallery requires its outside contractors and suppliers to meet the same standards for access and to comply with the DDA. The Gallery's access consultant from Tuffin, Ferraby & Taylor in conjunction with the Gallery's Building and Facilities department carried out an audit of the National Café, which suggested that the following improvements be carried out and maintained:
- Lighting to be improved to provide an appropriate level without glare
- Distance between tables with chairs in position to be kept at 800mm to accommodate wheelchair users
- Some lower perch points to be provided if possible
- Some table heights to be raised to 685mm to accommodate wheelchair users
- Height of self service drink stations to be decreased if and when possible
- Height of tills to be decreased and a drop down area to be provided for access
Equipment provision
Progress against objectives to 2006
The Gallery has provided wheelchairs and stools at every entrance except the portico and wheelchair access to all its buildings. There is now wheelchair access and spaces for wheelchairs at both the back and front of the lecture theatre and wheelchair access to both cinemas.
There are induction loops in the Gallery's lecture theatre, both cinemas and all three information desks.
The Gallery's telephone system includes a Typetalk facility.
Screen magnifiers are available for ArtStart, the Gallery's interactive, multimedia system.
Plans for 2007 onwards
Wheelchairs and stools will be kept in repair, replaced and increased in number as necessary and as resources allow.
The Access Group will investigate the feasibility of providing a wider range of wheelchairs.
The Café operator will be asked to consider providing some members of the waiting staff with aprons incorporating an induction loop or other sound enhancement equipment.
The Access Group will investigate text pens and whether the Gallery should provide them.
Safety in the building
The Gallery takes account of the needs of visitors with disabilities in all safety procedures. It is the policy of the Gallery to enable all occupants of the building to be evacuated at the same time in an emergency.
Progress against objectives to 2006
The lift in the Sainsbury Wing has been upgraded to provide emergency evacuation from the lower floors for wheelchair users.
Plans for 2007 onwards
Safety procedures for disabled people will continue to be monitored annually and improvements made when possible.
Fire evacuation routes, fire alarm and emergency lighting in the refurbished Café is to be reassessed to see where improvements might be made and to ensure there are no barriers in the way of disabled visitors.
Learning about the Collection
The Gallery encourages and enables the widest possible audience to study the collection. It seeks ways to improve and extend access for all to information and scholarly research.
Progress against objectives to 2006
British Sign Language (BSL)-interpreted guided tours of the collection, talks and discussions for the hearing-impaired are provided monthly. In 2006 this programme was developed to include talks in BSL by a deaf lecturer, voiced by an interpreter. This was welcomed as a positive addition to BSL-interpreted events.
Videos about the collection and the Gallery's temporary exhibitions now have subtitles.
A regular programme, Art through Words, is provided for the visually impaired and has been used by the RNIB as an example of good practice.
Large print labels are available for both the permanent collection and major temporary exhibitions.
The Gallery's website is accessible to most text browsers and provides information on every painting in the collection.
The Gallery's interactive computer system, ArtStart, was launched in 2005. Key features to aid usability and accessibility are touch-screen interface via high-resolution LCD monitors, zoom images of every painting in the permanent collection allowing visitors with serious visual impairments to look at the paintings in close detail, audio-visual content, including transcripts, high contrast text, and exoteric language. Interaction with speech browsers was audited by the RNIB.
The Gallery's Education department offers a varied programme of outreach and educational projects designed to suit a wide range of visitors and those who may be unable to visit but might enjoy the collection.
The department has built links with a variety of different groups who now regularly bring people with a range of physical and learning disabilities into the Gallery, for free sessions led by National Gallery artists and educators. These include Footsteps (who work with people with mental health issues) and Access to Art, who now bring 42 groups of people with many kinds of disabilities to the Gallery every year.
'Articulate' for secondary age students focuses on the KS3 Literacy Strategy and involves writers teaching in the picture galleries with students with learning difficulties.
The department has also worked with a school in Cardiff for students with special educational needs, a project related to one of the touring exhibitions.
'Take Art' enables young people in hospital schools to enjoy and learn about great paintings from the Gallery's collection.
Plans for 2007 onwards
The BSL programme for spring 2007 has been developed to provide a greater variety of events (BSL-interpreted slide talks on a new temporary exhibition, talks in BSL by a deaf lecturer, increased provision of lunchtime talks followed by a BSL discussion group). The Education department will be liaising with Mario Barroso, Arts Officer, Greater London Deaf Association, to discuss ways to develop events for deaf and hearing-impaired visitors. This might include the introduction of practical art-making workshops and private views of temporary exhibitions. Links have been established with deaf schools through the British Deaf Association, who have planned an initial visit with secondary school students. This pilot visit will include a tour and drawing session with a deaf lecturer. The Gallery will gather feedback from this visit in order to develop similar sessions in 2007.
Subject to confirmation of funding, the Education department also plans to set up a new outreach programme which focuses specifically on elderly people who are unable to visit the Gallery independently because of health and disability issues. The proposed programme would work with a number of partner organisations (for example care and residential homes, and specialist Alzheimer's and dementia treatment units) to provide both off-site and on-site sessions for these people, so that the Gallery and its collection is made accessible to them, and might become a part of their social life, care and treatment.
During 2007 the New Media team will be undertaking a complete renewal of the National Gallery's website. This will encompass:
- improved navigation to ensure information is easier to find;
- new interface designs which will allow information to be clearly presented on screen and when printed; and the
- deployment of a new content management system which will provide web pages which will be fully standards compliant.
The new website will be tested in a wide range of web browsers, included alternative browsers and assistive technologies, and will ensure that the presentation of content will be as flexible as possible to meet the needs of our diverse audience.
ArtStart, the Gallery's in-museum kiosk system, will be enhanced to include a 'browse' interface, which will allow visitors to explore visually the entire collection via an interactive touchscreen.
The Access Group will investigate ways of improving the production of large print labels to make them more user-friendly.
It is hoped that detailed physical descriptions of the thirty highlights from the collection can be produced for use on the audio-guide, which provides a commentary on the Gallery's pictures. The Gallery is exploring the possibility of offering free individual sessions with 'sighted guides' whose services could be booked in advance of a visit.
The Access Group will investigate the possibility of producing the Gallery's Companion Guide as an audio book.
The Gallery also developed A Sense of Art tours in conjunction with RNIB but these have been withdrawn while sponsorship is sought for updating and repairing them. The Gallery will continue to make every effort to find funding.
Information and signage
The Gallery strives to provide information in forms that are accessible to all visitors and to cater for most needs. Information is on offer in alternative formats and is reviewed regularly. Signage is designed and situated to be as legible as possible.
Progress against objectives to 2006
The Gallery's floor-plans, and information on major exhibitions are available in large print. The Gallery's access leaflet is available on both CD-ROM and tape. Other material in alternative formats is available on request from the Information desks.
The Gallery's website which is accessible to most speech browsers provides information on the Gallery's programme of activities and services as well as on the collection. Signing was introduced for some information on the website this year. An audio version of the Gallery's access leaflet can also be found on the website. An accessible emailed monthly newsletter is sent to subscribers.
Banners on the outside of the Gallery were replaced this year with stronger contrast and larger type to increase legibility. Signage in the Education Centre has been enlarged.
Plans for 2007 onwards
The Head of Information will investigate the production of welcome sheets in Braille.
Advice is being sought from the RNIB on the production of a large print version of the floor plan and the possibility of a tactile one.
The Development Office is seeking sponsorship for an accessible audio-guide.
The Education department and the Access Group will investigate ways of advertising the services the Gallery offers to a wider range of disabled people building on the leaflet about the BSL programme currently being circulated through London Calling.
The Gallery is to review print used in the restaurants for menus, signage etc and will advise on using RNIB Clear Print format, and will ask for some menus to be printed in Large Print type size 16 - 22 point and some in Braille lettering.
Employment
The National Gallery's equal opportunities in employment policy gives a commitment to promoting diversity throughout the organization by valuing people's differences, ensuring fair treatment for employees through the consistent application of rules and policies, and providing equality of opportunity for all. The policy applies to employees and job applicants who are expected to:
- treat others with respect, consideration and without prejudice
- promote the same behaviour in others
- ensure unacceptable behaviour is reported and take appropriate action if unacceptable behaviour is experienced
- promote a working atmosphere of encouragement and support
The Gallery is committed to building a workforce which reflects wider UK society and is keen to find ways to attract and recruit candidates with a disability.
The Gallery is committed to making appropriate reasonable adjustments to improve the working environment for all staff with disabilities who require them. Assessments for reasonable adjustments are normally made through the Gallery's Occupational Health Provider
Staff Training and Development
Diversity is integrated into many of the courses provided as part of the Gallery's training programme, including induction, management development and the training provided for Visitor Service staff.
The Gallery aims to provide disability awareness training for all staff and consults specialist organisations and other experts on ways to improve training in this area.
Progress against objectives to 2006
Disability awareness sessions for representatives from all departments have been introduced and held annually by the Access Group.
More intensive training is provided for Gallery staff in direct contact with the public and the training which is provided to support Gallery Assistants, Front of House and Information staff with their visitor services roles has a strong emphasis on disability issues and awareness.
The Gallery provides all fire marshals, uniformed staff, and staff trained in first-aid with training in the evacuation of people with disabilities and other emergency procedures.
Plans for 2007 onwards
To ensure its data is fully up to date the Human Resources department will be undertaking an exercise to improve the Gallery's workforce profile data, specifically to ensure that we have as reliable data, as possible, on the employees with disabilities.
The Gallery will ensure that disability awareness training is provided for catering staff including instructions on dealing with disability issues during emergencies and fire evacuation.
|
