Different venues may have different features that can enhance your visit. These can include a guided tour, storytelling session, listening booths or hand-held audio sets.

Historic buildings, such as cathedrals and abbeys, can often have a distinct atmosphere with a range of sounds and echoes and a variation of shadows. These buildings can also present the experience of different smells and the opportunity to feel interesting textures such as stones, arches and woodwork. An increasing number of heritage sites and other venues organise lectures, storytelling sessions, concerts and recitals.

The provision of Braille, large print or recorded guides and a tactile plan can enable you to feel how a site is laid out and to identify what is where.

In some museums, a visitor may be able to touch certain exhibits to feel what they are like, for example feeling the pattern on a solid wooden door or craft tools. Lists of these items are usually available at the venues reception.

Some venues use technology to incorporate sounds and smells into their displays. Hands-on displays can be fascinating, for example being able to feel what fossils and dinosaurs were like or feeling the effect of wind on a sail.

Many historic houses are located in beautiful surroundings. It is often pleasant to walk through the gardens with their many different smells, where visitors can touch the plants and feel the different textures of their leaves and flowers.

It is always helpful to plan your visit and find out how interesting a place might be. Guided tours may also need to be booked in advance.

Useful guidelines when choosing a venue

There are some guidelines that you can use when choosing a venue to visit. Visits that offer something additional to people with vision impairments may have:

• Braille, recorded and large print visitor guides and information.
• Staff assistance to provide information and offer a verbal description of objects.
• Guided tours, storytelling, recitals and music.
• Exhibits which appeal to all of the senses.
• Audio information with individual exhibits.
• Braille and large clear information on exhibit panels and labels.
• Audio guides designed with people with vision impairments in mind, for example guides which audio describe particular exhibits.
• Touch tours and handling sessions.
• Uncluttered layout with a contrasting colour scheme to make exhibitions more clear.
• Tactile collections, such as tactile drawings of exhibits and 3D models purpose made for touching.
• Tactile maps and large size contrasting plans to help orientation.

Museums and visitor centres

The following section provides list venues, museums and visitor centres which may provide interesting features for you to visit.

‘Altered Images’

A partnership initiative of Mayo County Council Arts Office, South Tipperary Arts Service and IMMA (Irish Museum of Modern Art), ‘Altered Images’ is an exhibition of art works from the collections of all three organisations. Accessible, interactive and inclusive in ethos, the exhibition aims to stimulate engagement with the visual arts for the general public and particularly for disabled people. Check the Altered Images website for information on where the exhibition is being shown.

Chester Beatty Library and Galleries

The Chester Beatty Library has Braille copies of a brochure that introduces visitors to the Library. These are available at the reception desk on request. Guided tours of the Library are available, and the Library is in the process of producing a handheld audio guide. All objects are behind glass but samples are available to handle during a guided tour such as sample spices, fabrics, brushes and scrolls. You will need to notify the Library when booking a handling tour.

Museum of Country Life

The Museum of Country Life represents the traditions of rural life throughout Ireland over the last century. Some of the displays use technology to incorporate audio sounds into their displays. The hands-on displays offer you the opportunity to feel a sample of thatched roof or a sod of turf, for example. The museum also has storytelling and reminiscence seminars.

Dublin Zoo

The keepers of Dublin Zoo offer a tour that includes lots of activities and a hands-on experience using their discovery centre as a base. The discovery centre houses various biofacts such as an elephant’s foot, giraffe leg, hippo skull, snakeskin, etc. Keepers will answer questions and tell visitors about the animals and how the animals are kept.

Dublin Bus Audio Tours

The Dublin City Tour allows you to hop on and off as often as you wish. It offers you live commentary on the sites of Dublin.

‘Coming to Our Senses’ project

Northern Ireland’s Coming to Our Senses project is an exciting initiative which aims to open up the Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland to visitors with vision impairments.

The cinema

Eye Cinema

The Eye Cinema in Galway has installed Dolby ScreenTalk. This facilitates audio description for people with vision impairments. Audio description enables you to listen to a description of the action as it is happening on screen through headsets, which are available from the Eye Cinema box office. It is advisable for you to reserve a headset in advance.

Some of Ireland’s sensory gardens

A sensory garden is designed to stimulate the senses of touch, scent and hearing. You are encouraged to explore, touch and smell shrubs and plants. Sensory gardens can also contain water features, sculptures and different types of walkways. While sensory gardens enhance your experience, they are fun for everyone to visit.

St Stephen’s Green

This Victorian public park and rose garden is located in the centre of Dublin city. Free lunchtime concerts take place in the park during the summer months.

National Botanic Gardens

The National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin, Dublin 9 has a specially designed sensory garden. The garden offers a rich experience of texture in the form of colour, sound, touch and even taste. It is located between the entrance gates and the fern house.

Millstreet Sensory and Musical Garden

Millstreet Sensory and Musical Garden is full of perfumed flowers and aromatic foliage and raised beds, while wide paths make it accessible to everyone. In the music garden, a bandstand graces centre stage; there are recitals here every Sunday from brass bands playing songs from Irish traditional music and classical music.

National Garden Exhibition Centre

The National Garden Exhibition Centre in Kilquade, Co. Wicklow offers guided walks of the gardens, which can be booked in advance. Lectures and demonstrations form part of the calendar of events throughout the year. Sight, sound, smell and touch are all integral to the design of this sensory garden. Designed upon strictly formal lines, the raised beds bring the plants closer to you.

Killarney National Park

Killarney National Park includes Muckross House and the famous lakes of Killarney, as well as the mountains and woods surrounding them. There is a woodland walk made more accessible to visitors with vision impairments. A rope suspended on poles guides you through the woodland, with audio recordings available at Muckross House to tell you of the various features to be visited en route.

Festina Lente Foundation

Festina Lente Foundation in Bray, Co. Wicklow dates from the late 18th century. You can visit both their farm and the sensory gardens. The sensory garden features herbs and other highly scented flowers and plants.

Abbey Sense Garden

The Abbey Sense Garden in Hertiage House, Abbeyleix in Co. Laois will appeal to everybody. Set in the walled gardens of the Brigidine Convent, Abbey Sense Garden aims to create a nursery specialising in fragrant plants. To find out more, Tel: 0502 31325.

National Environmental Education Centre

The National Environmental Education Centre in Knocksink Wood, Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow has developed a guided tour of the woodland nature reserve which has features that enhance the walk.

Garden of the Senses

This specially designed garden of the senses in Sneem, Co. Kerry offers a rich experience of texture in the form of colour, sound and touch.

Tralee Town Park

Tralee Town Park in Co. Kerry has developed a rose garden and sensory garden.

Wicklow Mountains National Park

The Wicklow Mountains National Park has a sensory garden that shows a lot of creativity. It has many features to awaken the senses, including a barefoot sensory trail with changing textures and a giant wooden xylophone made from the wood of local trees.

Carnfunnock Country Park

Carnfunnock Country Park on the Antrim Coast Road near Larne has produced a biodiversity trail, created to provide a safe route around the park. It links attractions and adds extra habitats, bird tables, a bog garden and wildflower areas, and incorporates Braille information panels. There is also a scented garden in the park where you can enjoy the wonders of the garden.