For Stella Lee Yuen-wa, a Hong Kong Sign Language (HKSL) teacher who is deaf, visiting museums has often been frustrating due to the lack of non-audio explanations. While many institutions worldwide provide multilingual tours, accessibility for the deaf community has largely been overlooked.
This is beginning to change in Hong Kong. In 2023, the Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile (Chat) in Tsuen Wan launched a programme specifically designed to enhance accessibility for the hearing-impaired. Unlike traditional accessibility measures that mainly focus on physical mobility, this initiative integrates HKSL and deaf-led tours, making exhibitions more inclusive.
Eugenia Law Pik-yu, associate curator of learning and community at Chat, explains that most museums consider disabled visitors as passive service recipients. Chat, however, aimed to involve them as co-creators, working alongside hearing guides to develop the programme.
In spring 2024, Chat introduced Hong Kong’s first training course for both hearing and hearing-impaired guides. These guides now lead interactive, multisensory tours that encourage visitors to engage with the museum’s textile machines and artifacts through touch and visual storytelling. The free tours began in September 2024 and run every Sunday.
The initiative also fosters communication between the hearing and deaf communities, a rare opportunity in daily life. According to the Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department, approximately 246,000 people in the city had hearing difficulties in 2020, yet as of July 2024, there were only 57 registered sign language interpreters.
Raymond Wong Cheuk-hon, general manager of SLCO Community Resources, which promotes deaf-hearing inclusiveness, believes the Chat tours help bridge this gap. In collaboration with the Centre for Sign Linguistics and Deaf Studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, SLCO helped develop the 45-minute tours, which take place twice every Sunday until February 23, with the possibility of extension.
Around the world, museums have increasingly focused on accessibility. The Smithsonian American Art Museum offers multisensory tours, Istanbul Modern has programs for visually impaired visitors, and the Tactual Museum of Athens allows guests to touch replicas of ancient artifacts. In Hong Kong, institutions like M+ and the Hong Kong Palace Museum provide assistive tools such as tactile maps, HKSL interpretation, and audio descriptions on request.
Unlike many accessibility tours that require pre-booking or extra fees, Chat has made its programme as open as possible. Visitors can simply walk in and register for tours held at 1:45 pm and 3:45 pm every Sunday.
Lee, who guides tours alongside language therapy student Belle Sinn Cheuk-yiu, has been encouraged by visitors’ curiosity about HKSL and deaf culture. Sinn also notes that both children and adults actively engage with the experience and often ask Lee about the deaf community after the tour.
Law hopes this programme will serve as a model for future museum initiatives, fostering greater inclusivity and allowing diverse communities to co-create exhibitions that reflect their experiences.
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