Accessibility Program

The Accessibility Program supports the Smithsonian in making all visitors feel welcome by providing consistent, effortless access to the Institution’s programs, collections and facilities.

Resonsibilities include:

• Advising on and implementing policy, practices, and procedures related to access for people with disabilities;
• Reviewing facility and exhibition designs;
• Providing technical assistance;
• Conducting outreach to the disability community and other cultural arts organizations;
• Providing staff education on disability topics; and
• Working with Smithsonian museums and offices to provide direct visitor services, including sign language interpretation, real time captioning, and alternate formats of publications.

The Smithsonian Museums are accessible to individuals with disabilities. Some of the features include:

• Accessible facilities;
• Open captioning of exhibition videos;
• Audio description incorporated into some exhibitions;
• Tactile elements included throughout the museums;
• Tactile and/or verbal description tours can be arranged by contacting a museum with two –weeks advance notice;
• Sign language interpretation is available for scheduled tours by contacting the museum with two weeks advanced notice;
• Access services can be arranged for public programs by contacting the museum in advance;
• IMAX movies shown during regular museum hours of operation offer assistive listening devices, audio-description and rear-window captioning; and
• Publications and brochures are available in alternate formats.

For additional information on access services, please contact the Accessibility Program at (202) 633-2921 (voice) or email the Accessibilty Program.