ABB Factsheet: Neurodivergent Accessibility in Museums and Galleries

Introduction

Museums and art galleries are both environments that often offer highly enlightening, immersive and exciting experiences. In these important cultural spaces, however, neurodivergent attendees may encounter a range of unique hindrances and barriers that block their equal access. To remedy these barriers, many arts and historical organisations offer innovative solutions. This overview explores “best practices” in accessibility for neurodivergent audiences in museums and art galleries, as well as broader initiatives around neurodiversity in the sector.

Accessibility practices and tools

In fostering inclusive museum and gallery environments for neurodivergent attendees, environmental best practices may include:

● Relaxed/early-hours viewings - For example, the world-famous Natural History Museum, located in London, offers the “Dawnosaurs” experience. “Dawnosaurs” is an upcoming, free event for neurodivergent children, and it allows such children to come into the museum early in the day (8am - 10am) and enjoy it free of the “hustle and bustle” of the general public. In Dawnosaurs (which is led by experienced neurodiversity-aware staff), children are given access to a range of exciting activities and galleries in a more supportive environment (Natural History Museum, no date). Experiences like this, however, may have important caveats. For example, “Dawnosaurs” is limited to a select number of galleries, and the early-morning start may not be convenient for some families. Although quieter hours can be greatly advantageous (especially for those with particular sensory needs), it could be argued that this is an example of a segregated experience where neurodivergent groups are pigeonholed into a specific time slot in which they explore this cultural space separately from the wider community (it could be argued that, in a way, the segregated nature of such initiatives hinders community cohesion).

● Reduced or adjustable lighting and sound levels at set times (Coates, 2019) - these adaptations help to create calmer, sensory-friendly environments for visitors who experience sensory overload or hypersensitivity.

● Clearly-signposted “quiet rooms” or low-stimulus environments - environments such as these can be highly valuable spaces in which attendees can take a break and withdraw or regulate. They don’t necessarily always have to be separate rooms, however, and reasonably-frequent seating or “break points” situated throughout the location are also likely to be useful.

● Provision of clear, visual pre-visit materials to help individuals know what to expect on their visit - for example, The London-based Postal Museum offers a “Visual Story” on their website, which visually details the exhibits and facilities available at the museum. A “Sensory Map” has also been created, which aims to help attendees understand and prepare for sensory issues within the space (viewable by clicking here). As well as these, the museum has also produced “pre-visit films” that further illustrate the exhibits offered in their space (The Postal Museum, no date).

● Options to avoid or minimise queues - those who find queuing difficult may be given the option to utilise alternative waiting spaces, timed arrival slots or entirely separate entrances to help reduce overwhelm and sensory overload (NAS, no date).

● The usage of clear, consistent signage featuring arrows, icons and plain language - signage should adequately communicate directions and rules in an easily-digestible manner (e.g. by incorporating text such as “noisy area ahead” or “quiet space this way”) (Gaim-Marsoner, 2024).

● Keep transitions distinct - In neurodivergence accessibility, it is greatly beneficial to incorporate clear spatial guidance and easily-understood routes. If this is not provided, individuals may encounter difficulties in managing their sensory experiences and find the environment overwhelming. In a 2025 study, a museum design that incorporated spatial guidance (alongside virtual reality interaction) achieved the highest satisfaction rating, with an approximate 23% increase in user satisfaction for autistic children and other participants (Qian, Mao & Yi, 2025).

Program design practices

As well as ensuring that the environment itself is accessible, it is also very important that museums and galleries ensure that their programs and activities are designed in an inclusive manner. Best practices in program design include:

● Ensure that staff receive adequate training in neurodiversity - staff having an adequate understanding of neurodivergent experiences is important in ensuring that neurodivergent attendees get the most out of their time and have their broader accessibility needs met.

● Dedicated Tours and Workshops - for example, the Whitney Museum of American Art (located in New York) runs plain-language gallery tours, as well as sensory-friendly art workshops, on certain Saturdays before the museum opens to the wider public (Whitney Museum, no date). The use of plain language can make historical and cultural education more accessible to the neurodivergent community, and activities such as sensory-friendly art workshops can help neurodivergent individuals to access their creativity in a fulfilling way. Again, however, it could be argued that initiatives such as these can simply be examples of neurodivergent attendees having to experience cultural life in a manner that is segregated from the rest of the community. For this reason, it is important that a good balance is struck between accessibility and integration.

● Co-design with neurodivergent individuals - consulting a range of neurodivergent individuals about how to design the experience in a way that suits them best is likely to be highly beneficial for accessibility (Bringolf, 2025).

● Structured but flexible activities - with the option to move through the environment at one’s own pace, as well as having the choice of whether to engage in group activities.

● Accommodating alternative communication methods - for example, the Dallas Museum of Art and the Tate Modern both make it explicitly clear that they accommodate the use of communication cards, allowing attendees to easily communicate non-verbally in a busy and potentially overwhelming environment (Tate, no date) (Schleuning, 2023).

● Use of accessibility devices and tools - for example, it may be good practice for a museum to incorporate plenty of audio guides. Audio guides may take the form of fixed or handheld devices with headphones that explain the exhibit to attendees. These may also be tailored for children. App-based audio guides that individuals may install onto their own phones are also increasingly offered, but people don’t always want to go through the hassle of installing them (Sala, n.d.)

● Attendees should be given the choice of whether to engage in hands-on or more distant activities - many neurodivergent visitors have very different sensory, cognitive, and social needs, and a single “expected” mode of participation can become a barrier.

● One-to-one tours or small group sizes - many places offer small-group or even one-to-one tours to those who find larger group situations challenging (NI Direct, n.d.)

Initiatives and resources in the sector

All around the globe, many innovative initiatives work to foster a neuro-inclusive environment within the museum/gallery space. A few UK-based examples are as follows:

● Museums, My Way (https://www.readingmuseum.org.uk/your-visit/information-for-autistic-an d-neurodivergent-people) - “Museums, My Way” is an initiative developed by Reading Museum and the Museum of English Rural Life, alongside Autism Berkshire. The programme offers free, flexible sessions and resources for neurodivergent attendees of all ages. The initiative provides various resources to make the museum experience more accessible, such as “sensory backpacks” with ear defenders, visual stories, sensory maps and a weekly “breakout space” every Saturday (10am-4pm). In these breakout spaces, tents, sensory toys and cushions are made available to provide a comfortable space for individuals and their families to take a break (Reading Museum, no date).

● The Neurodiverse Museum (https://theneurodiversemuseum.org.uk) - The Neurodiverse Museum is an organisation and initiative that seeks to change how museums work for neurodivergent individuals. It does this by working to support museums and museum professionals to develop their practice across three key areas: workforce, audiences and collections. Through training, resources and consultancy, the initiative aims to help museum professionals to build confidence and understanding around neurodivergent access needs (The Neurodiverse Museum, no date).

● Autism Friendly Award (National Autistic Society, UK) - the National Autistic Society’s Autism Friendly Award, as well as earlier awards such as the “Autism Access Award”, have been granted to museums demonstrating a higher level of neurodiversity awareness. For example, the London RAF Museum was the first museum to receive the Autism Access Award, gaining it in 2014 through working alongside the National Autistic Society to shape the museum environment and raise neurodiversity awareness among staff (Autism in Museums, no date). As well as this, the Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery is another example of an institution that has been granted the award, gaining it in 2025. The RAMM gained the award through providing a “high level of autism-friendly information on the museum website” across different formats, providing adequate museum-specific training around how to meet Autism access needs to employees, incorporating “relaxed sessions” in the event programme and applying feedback from autistic individuals as well as advocates. The museum was also praised for its use of clear signage (BBC, 2025).

Conclusion

Museums and art galleries are really important cultural institutions, playing a critical role in bringing cultural and historical education to the general public. It is therefore of great importance that such institutions take concrete steps to ensure that neurodivergent individuals are able to access these spaces in an equal way to others. Of course, however, some institutions perform better in this than others. Many museums and galleries provide “quiet slots” in which neurodivergent attendees can navigate the environment at their own pace, free from the hustle and bustle of the general public. While initiatives such as these are useful, the “magic really happens” when accommodations for neurodivergent needs are built into the environment more directly, and feedback from neurodivergent individuals (as well as advocates) is put into practice by institutions with a view to fostering a more inclusive experience.