As I was planning my trip to Cincinnati, I came across the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center which sounded very exciting. I was wondering if there would be a touch tour available. When I checked the site, there was information about a tactile map and an audio tour, but I was looking for more. I contacted the museum, and James Harrington responded immediately offering to take me around.
The museum introduces visitors to the history of the underground railroad, starting from the African slave trade to arriving to the free states.
An additional surprise was that on the day of my visit, I was trying to figure out where to eat lunch before the visit, and I accidentally found out that a piece of the Berlin Wall can be seen right outside of the museum.
And how does the Berlin Wall belong there? As the Columbus Dispatch states, it “focuses on how Civil War era slaves reached freedom, and on freedom around the world”.
The Berlin Wall has a special meaning in my life, when it fell in November, 1989, I lived in Hungary, We experienced how freedom returned to our countries. I was in East Germany, and later I was there when it was Germany again. We celebrated when the Hungarian border was opened so that people from Eastern Germany could go through the iron curtain and freely visit West Germany.
When I met James, we talked about the Berlin Wall, so he showed it to me first. It was a truly special moment, when I could touch it. I never touched the Berlin Wall or any piece of it before, and I would have never thought that it will happen 30 some years later in Cincinnati.
But let’s go into the museum, where the statue of Harriet Tubman and a child met me first. She has been close to me recently regarding an other project I’m working on. For many years, I am promoting to make the US Dollar tactile and accessible for blind people. But how it relates to Harriet Tubman is that there is also an initiative to put a woman on the US Dollar, who would be Harriet Tubman. So, basically, at least two groups are working on promoting to change the US currency with similar endeavors, to make it more inclusive.
Another currency related fact is that some of the proceeds of the 2024 Harriet Tubman commemorative coins will support the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.
On the third floor, the journey begins in Africa, where slave trade comes alive with statues. The slave owner, the ship captain, and several slaves in chains on the floor. The statues are elaborate, and easy to tell by touch what is happening.
Later you can feel objects slaves worked with, like a dish to clean the rice or cotton to process.
There is also an original slave house to experience where they lived.
Related to the underground railroad, one can see a small wooden box in which a slave was traveling for 27 hours to move to a free state, or a double bottom wagon where a slave could hide as well.
And there is much much more. The exhibit is very moving, it really allows you to feel and see what slaves had to go through until they were able to find freedom.
But let’s talk a little bit about accessibility. I felt that the accessibility page of the museum does not do any justice to all the great things you can find there. Basically from the moment you walk in, there is a lot to touch. So much that it is actually a dream of a blind person. First I was suspicious if you were actually supposed to touch any of it, as in many museums it is not allowed. I asked James and he ensured me that people are actually encouraged to touch the objects. He also explained that the museum is going through some reorganization, and they are working on providing many more accessibility features. I have to say, the museum is not fully accessible, because there isn’t a good way of reading the signs and labels, but this is what the upcoming audio tour will remedy. But if you are looking for a place to find things to experience by touch, you will not be disappointed.
I would like to thank the Freedom Center, and particularly James for the great experience.
Let me know if you have a product or service that blind people would benefit from, I’d be happy to review it. Also, contact me if you need help to make your product or service accessible.
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