At the end of 2024, The Norris Museum in St Ives was awarded a grant to enhance its accessibility for blind and visually impaired visitors. With this goal in mind, Susan from the museum reached out to Andrea at Hunts Blind. Together, they explored the most effective ways to make the museum more inclusive. They concluded that using QR codes to provide audio information on exhibits, signage, and shop prices would be a valuable tool, allowing visitors to access key information using technology many already carry: a smartphone.
Chris, a technology expert and dedicated volunteer at The Norris Museum, joined the project to bring this vision to life. He ventured into the community, asking local shopkeepers to read out information for him to record. These recordings covered topics such as ice skating on Earith Fen, Woolly Mammoth bones discovered near St Ives, and historical facts about the museum itself.
To make the project even more personal, Andrea brought a group of Hunts Blind members with smartphones to The Norris, where they were invited to record their own voices for use in the QR code content, ensuring the initiative remained community-led and representative.
The collaboration culminated in a grand launch on Wednesday 11th June, where the new QR code system was officially unveiled. Early users were thrilled with how easily they could access the information and enjoy engaging stories from both the museum’s archives and the local community.
During the event, several Hunts Blind members had the pleasure of meeting the new St Ives Mayoress, Julie Kerr. In one photo, Win and Ann are seen standing proudly with the Mayoress next to a QR code labelled Treasures, which Win helped record alongside Chris. In another, Paul demonstrates how to scan a QR code to his wife Mo and our Social Events Coordinator Andrea.
Susan from the museum said “We are incredibly proud to have partnered with Hunts Blind on our Voices project. Their expertise, support, and guidance have been invaluable in helping us make The Norris Museum more accessible to people who are visually impaired. Through their input, we’ve taken meaningful steps towards creating a more inclusive and welcoming space for all visitors. This collaboration has not only improved our current offerings but also deepened our understanding of accessibility and inclusive design. We are grateful for their continued support and look forward to working together on future projects to ensure the museum is a place everyone can enjoy.”
This project has been a truly meaningful collaboration between The Norris Museum and Hunts Blind, and both organisations are excited about the possibility of working together on future accessibility initiatives.