The British Museum will provide audio-described tours for its upcoming Bayeux Tapestry exhibition, a move prompted by a legal challenge from a visually impaired visitor. The exhibition, which features the 70-meter (230 ft) embroidery depicting events leading up to the Norman Conquest of 1066, is on loan from France and will be displayed until July 11, 2027.
Kholood Osman, who is blind, contacted the museum in July to inquire about audio-described tours. According to his legal representatives, the museum initially stated that self-guided visits would take precedence over tours and events. The museum cited limitations on the amount of light the tapestry could be exposed to each week as a reason for restricting visitor numbers, which in turn impacted the prioritization of tours.
Osman is seeking damages and a judicial declaration that he was discriminated against. He also wants the museum to revise its policies and provide disability awareness training to relevant staff. His solicitor, Kate Egerton, emphasized that the Equality Act imposes obligations on service providers to anticipate the needs of disabled individuals and to take reasonable steps to prevent substantial disadvantage. Egerton stated that Osman is requesting the same opportunity to experience the exhibition as sighted visitors.
A spokesperson for the British Museum confirmed the institution's commitment to making the exhibition as accessible as possible. The museum has collaborated with specialist access consultants and will offer provisions such as a sensory map to help visitors prepare for their visit. In addition to the in-person audio-described tours, the museum is exploring the possibility of including a separate audio-described tour within the exhibition's app-based audio guide.