Audio guides can be used in several environments, and if they are structured well, they can provide immense help for visitors. A few ideas where audio guides can be used are:
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Museums and galleries
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City tours
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Parks
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Zoos and aquariums
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Botanical gardens
However, I have experienced many instances when otherwise good audio guides did not fulfill their promise and created a less than desirable experience, either because they had a conflicting message on the target audience, or they did not properly serve the people they meant to help.
When you implement an audio guide, it is worth considering the needs of your target audience, and it is a good idea to test it with a focus group.
Who is your target audience?
While this question maybe obvious, but if you have several audiences you would like to serve, they may have completely different requirements.
An audio guide can serve people who don’t understand the language of the labels and descriptions, it can help people with reading disabilities, or blind and visually impaired people, just to name some of the mostly targeted audiences. While people with reading disabilities and visually impaired people have certain needs which overlap, namely the audio version of the written content, blind people will also benefit from descriptions and verbal directions to get from point A to point B, which maybe unnecessary for others.
Thus, it is important not just to clearly define the audience, but also let them know what your audio guide does and does not provide, as this can often be a source of confusion.
If necessary, provide several channels to serve different groups.
Decide on the platform
Two popular options are using a stand-alone device that you distribute upon entry, or ask the visitors to download an app on their phone. They each have their advantages, a stand-alone device will put all visitors on the same starting point and probably it will be easier to troubleshoot issues, while using their own device allows your visitors to use their own accessibility settings they are most comfortable with.
However, in each case, ensure that the solution is fully accessible for people with all disabilities. Even if you provide a guide for blind people, they may have other disabilities, so it is not enough just to create a solution for visual impairment.
Including guidance
You will have to carefully consider if you will include guidance for blind and visually impaired people about how to get from one point to the next. This is where most of the failures occur. I have used several audio guides which didn’t provide sufficient information to get to the next location and I had to ask for personal assistance, at which point the audio guidance lost its value. It is also worth noting that sometimes directions can be given using other means, such as beacons, guiding lines, tactile marks on the floor, etc. Also make sure that guidance can be important for people with other disabilities, so use easy to follow signage as well.
What is the added value?
I also often found that a guide took me through a museum for example, but other than being able to hear some explanations, for all practical purposes it wasn’t necessary to make my life more difficult to try to get from one glass case to the other, because I could have listened to the same information in my own living room and would not get any less out of it. Such an experience can be disheartening, so if this is the case make it clear to the visitors before they attend the event.
Generally there should be something for all visitors which can only be enjoyed at that particular location.
Distribute information
When you create an audio guide, make sure you let people know about it before their visit. Explain how can they get the guide, if they have to download it or get it at the time of entry. Provide information on how to use the guide so that the visitors are comfortable with it when they get started.
Most importantly, tell your visitors what the guide does or doesn’t do, and whom does it intend to serve.
A good place to place this information would be your organizations accessibility page.
Conclusion
There is much more about creating an audio guide, here I was only touching on some aspects of accessibility. I purposefully didn’t include information about good audio descriptions for example, because a blog post would not be enough to provide useful information. Also, there are many considerations aside from accessibility.
Are you working on an audio guide? If you would like to get the most out of it, contact me and I’ll be happy to help.
