British Museum to Offer Audio-Described Tour of Bayeux Tapestry After Legal Threat

The British Museum says it will provide an audio-described tour of the Bayeux Tapestry after a blind man threatened legal action over a lack of access for visually impaired visitors.

Dr Yusuf Ali Osman, from Croydon, says the museum breached the Equality Act by not offering such tours of the exhibition.

His lawyers, Leigh Day, sent the museum a pre-action letter on 24 September.

On Wednesday, the central London museum said an in-person audio-described tour would be held during the exhibition's run. It said it was also exploring adding an audio-described tour to the exhibition's app.

Osman, who has no sight in either eye, contacted the museum in July to ask whether audio-described tours would be available, according to Leigh Day.

The law firm said the museum told him self-guided visits would be prioritised over tours and events. The museum said this was because limits on how many hours of light the tapestry can be exposed to each week restricted visitor numbers.

Osman is seeking damages and a declaration that he was discriminated against. He also wants an order requiring the museum to change its policies and give relevant staff disability awareness training.

"I hope that this legal action will help make sure that blind and partially sighted people are properly considered when major exhibitions are planned, so that we can enjoy and engage with our national cultural institutions on a more equal footing," he said.

His solicitor, Kate Egerton, said: "The Equality Act places obligations on service providers to anticipate the needs of disabled people and take reasonable steps to avoid substantial disadvantage.

"Our client is asking for the same opportunity as sighted visitors to experience this exhibition."

A British Museum spokesperson said the museum was "committed to making the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition as accessible as possible" and had worked with specialist access consultants.

"Provisions include a sensory map to help visitors prepare for their visit, as well as dedicated tours during the exhibition run which will include an in-person audio-described tour," the spokesperson said.

"We are also exploring including a separate audio-described tour as part of the exhibition's app-based audio guide."

The 70m (230ft) embroidery, which depicts the events leading up to the Norman Conquest of 1066, is on loan from France and is on display at the museum until 11 July 2027.

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