Blind Man Sues the British Museum Over Lack of Bayeux Tapestry Audio Tours

The Bayeux Tapestry at the British Museum is nothing short of controversy. In its latest, the museum is being sued by a blind man over a lack of audio guides at the exhibition, according to The Telegraph.

The lawsuit was filed by Yusuf Ali Osman, a registered blind man who has no sight in both eyes, with the law firm Leigh Day. A letter was sent to the museum by the law firm outlining that the British Museum failed to comply with the Equality Act.

“The Museum is committed to making the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition as accessible as possible and has worked with specialist access consultants to inform the exhibition experience,” said a spokesperson for the museum in a statement. “Provisions include a sensory map to help visitors prepare for their visit, as well as dedicated tours during the exhibition run, which will include an in-person audio-described tour. We are also exploring including a separate audio-described tour as part of the exhibition’s app-based audio guide.”

Prior to Osman’s visit, he had called the British Museum to ask if audio guides would be available and he was told they would not be. According to Leigh Day, the museum said it would be restricting the number of visitors who can enter the gallery and that self-guided visits would be prioritized over programmed tours and events as a result of the exhibition’s popularity. The museum has been giving visitors 40-minute viewing slots and has also banned photography in hopes of moving queues.

Osman is seeking damages from the British Museum and is also asking for the museum to change its policies and provide disability awareness training. “I want to be able to visit the Bayeux Tapestry and experience it for myself. I understand that there are important restrictions around how the tapestry is displayed, but it is disappointing to find that blind visitors are not being offered an audio-described way of experiencing it,” he said. “I hope that this legal action will help make sure that blind and partially sighted people are properly considered when major exhibitions are planned, so that we can enjoy and engage with our national cultural institutions on a more equal footing.”