The importance of inclusiveness: stories for all
Frits Polman • feb 17, 2022
Inclusiveness has been an important topic for some time, including in the cultural sector. How do you make sure your museum is relevant to as many people as possible? In this article, I’ll show you how Guide-ID enables every visitor to enjoy the story you’re telling.
Removing barriers, discovering stories
For Guide-ID, our platform is our way of making stories accessible. And the more stories told, the better! Whether culture, art, or nature: we give objects and spaces a voice and help people to listen and expand their knowledge. To do this properly, we’ve created the world’s simplest audio guide. It enables visitors to discover stories without any restrictive technologies or unnecessary distractions. And we want all visitors to benefit...
An emotional war veteran
I have vivid memories of the launch of our audio guide on the USS Midway Museum. They still used a system that had visitors dialling numbers to listen to stories. Our point-and-listen system is much more user-friendly, we think. After we had officially launched the audio tour with a whole lot of fanfare (as only Americans can do), a veteran in a wheelchair came to me and, emotionally, said: ‘This was the first time I could hear the voices of my fellow veterans!’ Being paralysed, he was unable to dial the numbers. Over the following days, he went to all the aircraft to listen to everything.
For Guide-ID, our platform is our way of making stories accessible. And the more stories told, the better! Whether culture, art, or nature: we give objects and spaces a voice and help people to listen and expand their knowledge. To do this properly, we’ve created the world’s simplest audio guide. It enables visitors to discover stories without any restrictive technologies or unnecessary distractions. And we want all visitors to benefit...
An emotional war veteran
I have vivid memories of the launch of our audio guide on the USS Midway Museum. They still used a system that had visitors dialling numbers to listen to stories. Our point-and-listen system is much more user-friendly, we think. After we had officially launched the audio tour with a whole lot of fanfare (as only Americans can do), a veteran in a wheelchair came to me and, emotionally, said: ‘This was the first time I could hear the voices of my fellow veterans!’ Being paralysed, he was unable to dial the numbers. Over the following days, he went to all the aircraft to listen to everything.
Audio tours against illiteracy
Another great example of how our audio tours can be more inclusive is a project we launched in a Tanzanian village a few years ago. As many of the residents can’t read or write properly (or can’t read or write at all), they’re unable to access the rich history of their village and surroundings. We wanted to change that. With the help of our audio tour, we’ve given the residents an accessible, easy way to learn more at their own pace!
Nobody is excluded
The age range of museum visitors is between 8 to 88 years old. We developed our Podcatcher with this in mind. A family visiting the museum (let’s say a father and mother, two children, and their grandparents) should all be able to enjoy the story of the museum. Many museums started using smartphone audio tours a few years ago, but that approach effectively excluded young and old visitors. It was anything but inclusive.
Our Podcatcher is so easy to use that everyone can understand and use it immediately, without any hassle. And visitors who want to use their smartphone can do so with our app.
Sign language interpreter for the deaf and hard of hearing
You may be asking yourself: what if granddad is hard of hearing? What use is an audio tour then? Well, our app offers a tour with a sign language interpreter for people who are hard of hearing or deaf. And if granddad doesn’t have a smartphone, he can use dad’s and still enjoy the stories. In the worst-case scenario, museums themselves can always provide some smartphones, so that no one has to miss out on the great stories.
Another great example of how our audio tours can be more inclusive is a project we launched in a Tanzanian village a few years ago. As many of the residents can’t read or write properly (or can’t read or write at all), they’re unable to access the rich history of their village and surroundings. We wanted to change that. With the help of our audio tour, we’ve given the residents an accessible, easy way to learn more at their own pace!
Nobody is excluded
The age range of museum visitors is between 8 to 88 years old. We developed our Podcatcher with this in mind. A family visiting the museum (let’s say a father and mother, two children, and their grandparents) should all be able to enjoy the story of the museum. Many museums started using smartphone audio tours a few years ago, but that approach effectively excluded young and old visitors. It was anything but inclusive.
Our Podcatcher is so easy to use that everyone can understand and use it immediately, without any hassle. And visitors who want to use their smartphone can do so with our app.
Sign language interpreter for the deaf and hard of hearing
You may be asking yourself: what if granddad is hard of hearing? What use is an audio tour then? Well, our app offers a tour with a sign language interpreter for people who are hard of hearing or deaf. And if granddad doesn’t have a smartphone, he can use dad’s and still enjoy the stories. In the worst-case scenario, museums themselves can always provide some smartphones, so that no one has to miss out on the great stories.
A children’s tour for parents?
But will everyone hear the same story? Do those two children have to listen to the same stories as their parents? Not at all. Children want something quick-paced: a quiz, a treasure hunt, an adventure. We can provide this very easily by creating a special children’s tour on our online platform. (Incidentally, our data shows that children’s tours are also popular with many parents.)
Artificial intelligence for translation
I’d also like to say something about the language in which we tell our stories. Many museums around the globe provide information in one language only. But what if you don’t speak that language? Let me put it this way: French and Spanish aren’t my strong points. And yet, these days, it’s so easy to offer the stories you have in every language you can think of. Artificial Intelligence (AI) can provide good-quality translations and convert the text into very listenable (foreign language) voices, so that all your visitors can enjoy the story in their own language. It really doesn’t get any more inclusive than that.
More tolerance thanks to inclusiveness
Inclusiveness is important. Stories are important. They provide a broader view of the world and, I think, lead to more tolerance. That’s why it’s also an important driving force at Guide-ID. We want to share stories with everyone. If you have any ideas on how we can make our platform even more inclusive, please get in touch!
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