Trust Policies

1. Introduction

The purpose of this policy is to set standards for accessible information across the museum’s field of activity. It aims to make information provided by the museum accessible to the widest possible audience. It is complementary to the museum’s Access Policy.

The policy applies to:

• Permanent and temporary exhibitions in the museum
• Leaflets
• Publications
• The museum’s website

In all our information provision we use, so far as is practicable in the circumstances, plain English, with short sentences. We avoid the use of jargon and any specialist terms are explained.

2. Exhibitions

Text used in exhibitions will meet the following specification:

• There will be at least 70% contrast between the colour of the text and the background. Black or a dark colour on a white background will be the usual style.
• Sans-serif typefaces will be used. Gill Sans is the museum’s standard typeface for exhibition text and other typefaces will only be used in exceptional cases.
• We will not use italic text, condensed text, outline, or shadow text effects.
• Wall mounted text will normally be at least 30 point, with a minimum of 25 point size.
• We do not right-justify paragraphs
• We do not hyphenate words between lines
• Sentences are never split between two sections of a display
• Text is never placed over graphics or pictures, except for very faint background effects which do not breach the 70% contrast requirement above.
• Curved text is sparingly employed
• Object labels will have a text size of at least 18 points
• Flip-book text will be at least of 14 point size

Exhibition panels will meet the following specification:

• Surfaces will be non-reflective
• Exhibition graphics will so far as practicable be positioned no higher than 2 metres from the floor and no lower than 750 millimetres from the floor
• Detailed text on wall panels will so far as practicable be within the range 1.2 m to 1.6 m from the floor.

Where these standards cannot be achieved, an alternative form of access will be provided.

3. Leaflets and Publications

A minimum typeface size of 12 points will be used unless there are exceptional reasons why this cannot be done. We aim to use a typeface size of 14 points whenever possible, except when an alternative large print edition, or an audio version, of the publication is made available.

Large print versions of leaflets and publications will be produced when it is practicable to do so (not including mass produced colour leaflets). The typeface size of large print will be between 16 and 22 points.

Leaflets will include pictorial symbols for the museum’s facilities, including disabled access, induction loop, guide dogs, wheelchair lift, baby changing, and vision impairment facilities.

Publications and leaflets are printed on paper of sufficient quality to prevent the text on the reverse site being seen.

4. The Website

The museum supports the World Wide Web Consortium’s accessibility guidelines and adheres to internationally recognised standards set by that body.

Other Policies Online

Equal Opportunities Policy

Collection related policies

Access Policy

Child Protection Policy

Health and Safety Policy

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