Page 94 - SEN113 SEN Magazine July-August 2021-V3

School trips Making STEM subjects accessible Andy Keenan highlights how to give SEND visitors a great day out. 94 Everyone loves a day out at a visitor attraction. And with the year that we’ve all just experienced it’s more important now than ever that everyone can look forward to an enjoyable, fun day out. At Winchester Science our visitors” In 2019 we successfully won a grant to support upgrades that were needed in our planetarium. We made some small changes that created a big difference to the experience, including adding an induction loop, running subtitled shows and improving the lighting on the stairways. We installed wheelchair access to the stage for presenters and reserved wheelchair spaces with seats for carers. We also introduced personalised audio tracks and 3D printed tactile resources to enable people with hearing and visual impairments to better share the planetarium experience alongside friends and family. Listening to feedback As well as identifying changes ourselves, it is hugely important that we listen to the opinions of our visitors. They are the best source of information when it comes to understanding what is and isn’t working. In 2018, we were approached by one of our visitors whose son had cerebral palsy. The little boy loved science and visiting the Science Centre, but with no easy way Centre we are on a mission to ensure that STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) is accessible to all no matter their age, ability or background. One way that our charity does this is through providing engaging, inspiring and fun experiences at our visitor attraction. Making simple improvements makes a huge difference Visitor attractions such as ours, are venues filled with people having fun, so naturally they can be overwhelming, and sometimes uninviting, places for people with accessibility requirements or sensory sensitivities. Most visitor attractions will provide basic accessibility requirements such as designated parking, level or ramp access and dedicated toilet facilities, but often this isn’t enough. With such a unique venue as ours, which includes a pyramid-shaped building and a huge domed planetarium, it could have been easy to fall into this trap. However, by making simple improvements, listening to visitor comments, taking advice from advisory panels and rethinking the way we do things, we are identifying ways to go above and beyond, to allow visitors to engage with our experience in ways that they have not been able to before. SEN113 senmagazine.co.uk “We listen to the opinions of