Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter, introduces Tactile Tours, to enhance accessibility at the world-leading attraction with a brand-new experience designed for visitors with visual impairments.
In partnership with Guide Dogs, for the first time visitors with sight loss can touch familiar props, including the wands of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Voldemort – and even feel the intricate design of the all-powerful Elder Wand, allowing those with visual impairments to immerse themselves into the world of Harry Potter and experience the filmmaking magic.
The introduction of the Tactile Tours is the latest enhancement to the Studio Tour as part of the year-long partnership with Guide Dogs, focussed on bringing best practice in accessibility for people who are blind or visually impaired.
Individuals with a visual impairment, including children and young people, guide dog owners and buddy dog families were invited to visit the Studio Tour to offer feedback on how to improve the experience for people with a visual impairment. Their personal insight helped influence the Tactile Tours by highlighting elements of the tour which could be brought to life through touch.
Costumes worn by the infamous Death Eaters and other characters from the fan-favourite film series, as well as fabrics from Professor Trelawney’s Divination classroom, will be available for visitors with visual impairment to touch. Visitors will also be able to get closer to magical creatures by stroking a section of Aragog’s prickly leg, and they will get to touch the treasure found in Gringotts.
To conclude this new experience, the iconic Hogwarts castle model has been transformed into a raised, tactile floorplan so visitors with sight loss can trail their way through their favourite locations using their fingertips.
Penny Hefferan and her guide dog Questa, as well as Skie Hewitt and her guide dog Derek visited the Studio Tour to share their thoughts and feedback about how it could be made more accessible.
Penny, from Rayleigh, says: “I’d always thought how fantastic it would be to touch some of the displays, and I’m really thrilled to have been able to do so. It exceeded my expectations and really brought everything alive for me.”
Skie, from Basildon, says: “The tactile tour was amazing and I absolutely loved it. I loved being able to touch and feel all of the props and realise how many details were on them. I just feel so happy to be included in the tour now, it was brilliant.”
With 250 people in the UK* starting to lose their sight every day the ongoing partnership has seen the Studio Tour introduce various initiatives to cement its commitment to developing inclusive policies for its team members and visitors.
Staff at the Studio Tour completed training created by Guide Dogs to teach best practices when helping visitors with sight loss. The training covered topics such as how to approach someone with sight loss, navigate narrow or busy spaces, steps and doorways, within the Studio Tour.
The team also received bespoke in-person practical sighted guided training, which was delivered by Guide Dogs, including how to safely guide someone with sight loss with confidence, skill and empathy. The sessions included advice on language and communication and how the power of description and use of the senses can be used to bring the experience to life.
Geoff Spooner, Senior Vice President at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London says, “We’re excited to introduce our new Tactile Tours, where people with a visual impairment can get hands-on to discover how their favourite Harry Potter moments were brought to life through the magic of filmmaking. Our work with Guide Dogs reflects our commitment to setting a new standard of inclusivity and accessibility for visitors with sight loss at UK attractions. We hope to inspire lasting change throughout the industry and offer a magical experience for everyone that visits us.”
Alex Pepper, Head of Accessibility at Guide Dogs added “Over the past year, our partnership with the Studio Tour team has made impactful changes to enhance the experience for visitors with a visual impairment. We have worked closely together and as a result of our consultation, advice and training, we are supporting Warner Bros. Studio Tour London to drive change across the UK attractions industry, making it more accessible for people with sight loss. We hope visitors who are blind and partially sighted will feel confident in exploring this great attraction.”
Through the Name a Puppy scheme Warner Bros. Studio Tour London sponsored three guide dogs in training named after the trio of leading characters in the iconic film series – Harry, Ron and Hermione – who are all celebrating their first birthdays this week. The Studio Tour continues to receive progress updates for each puppy’s development.
For more information on the partnership and helpful information, please visit www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/guide-dogs
