FOR the first time in its more than 35-year history, Winchester Science Centre has introduced audio description to its interactive hands-on science exhibits with the launch of Discovery Pens.
Opening the door to a world of science for visitors with visual impairments or children who find big chunks of text hard to read, the pens provide audio commentary highlighting how to interact with the exhibits as well as explaining the science behind the fun. The launch coincides with the United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities and continues the mission of Wonderseekers, the Charity behind the Science Centre, to break down as many barriers to science as possible
One of the biggest barriers to access experienced by children with additional needs is physical barriers. With Discovery Pens, the Science Centre team can remove another obstacle. Made possible with the support of a local family foundation, the exhibits now have a black circle with one yellow and one orange rectangle in the middle. Placing the pen on the yellow rectangle will start a description of what the exhibit is and how to interact with it. Hovering the pen over the orange rectangle will start a description of the science behind the exhibit. All descriptions were recorded by Jenny Hoppé, Community Engagement Officer at Wonderseekers.
Ben Ward, Chief Executive Officer of Wonderseekers said:
“I’m thrilled that we now have Discovery Pens at Winchester Science Centre. This has been a long-awaited and important milestone in our Charity’s journey to empower every child to treasure science. This technology allows more children to learn in a way that works for them, and I’m very grateful for the support we received from our partner and the hard work of the Wonderseekers team that made audio description possible.”
As part of the Charity’s aim to be champions of children’s voices, children and families who may benefit from audio descriptions were invited to test the Discovery Pens and share their feedback.
A 10-year-old girl said:
“I liked the [Discovery Pens’] headphones because they muffled the sound [of the Science Centre] and I was in my own little world.”
A parent added:
“My girls are dyslexic, and they never usually read the science. They’ve listened to more science [using the pens] than they’ve ever read.”
The charity behind Winchester Science Centre has been focused on engaging young people in science since 1986 and began its journey to make the Science Centre accessible to everyone in 2017. The iconic pyramid building was completely transformed to include a Recombobulation room – a calming space for children to have a quiet moment to themselves, and state-of-the-art acoustics – to dampen the noise levels, creating a less overwhelming experience. The Charity also made various changes to the Science Centre’s public offer including the introduction of British Sign Language (BSL) days in 2021 to enable d/Deaf visitors and children with hearing impairments to experience the wonder of science.
To Find out more about our accessibility facilities, please visit:
Accessibility – STEM for all | Winchester Science Centre.
