Sensory Resources Guide For Museums

Social Narrative

Basic Information

What

Social narrative is a story with photos and text that describes what visitors are expected to experience while visiting your museum or historic site. One example is Social Narrative at Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in NYC (see Examples section for more examples).

Why

Thanks to social narratives, visitors can prepare for their museum visit to reduce the chances of encountering uncomfortable and unexpected experiences before coming to the museum. For example, visitors who are sensitive to sudden loud noises can know in advance if your museum has such an exhibit or item and be prepared to cover their ears or modify their route.

Who

A social narrative is most commonly used by visitors with autism spectrum disorder, according to Museum Arts Culture Access Consortium. It also serves a wide range of people such as school group visits, independent family visits, specified routes or programs with guide, general visits, and their companions, depending on who your museum makes social narrative for and in which situation.

When

Visitors will use a social narrative before they come to the museum or as soon as they arrive.

Where

Visitors will access a social narrative on the museum’s website or at the museum’s information desk.

How

Visitors will go to the museum’s website and print out the social narrative by themselves, or get the printed version at the museum.

 

How To Make A Social Narrative

Template

We created a template to make it easier for museums and historic sites to implement a social narrative.

What Information To Include 

Use photos, drawings, and text, to give a step-by-step description of what visitors can expect to experience from the time they arrive to the time they leave your museum. Your sensory narrative should meet your own specific needs. For instance, you may choose to organize it by exhibition or according to the physical space. A social narrative of this sort typically includes and covers:

  • What each space is like
    • A brief description of space, who/what to see and experience, etc.
  • What visitors might feel or sense in the space
    • Sounds:
      • Loudness/ softness of both exhibition items and displays
      • Room sounds from crowding
      • Environmental noises such as AC systems and echos from hard surfaces
      • Sound overlaps 
    • Light
      • Flashing or moving lights 
      • Brightness/ dimness 
      • Ambient light 
      • Light focuses on exhibit materials 
      • Bright/ subdued colors 
    • Smell
      • environmental, smells like disinfectant, room deodorizer, etc 
      • exhibit based smells
    • Physical: stair/ramp/elevator, how big/small the space is, any physical restriction to enjoy the space, etc.
  • Possible behavior in certain situations
    • To cover ears, wear sunglasses, ask museum staff’s support, use museum’s sensory items, etc.
  • What visitors can/cannot do at the space
    • Eat, drink, touch, rest, etc.
  • It is typically written from the perspective of a visitor, I, or visitors, We, so that readers can feel closer to the social narrative.
  • Be brief with simple, direct wording in a large font.
  • We recommend keeping this template to about 20 slides. 

 

Examples of Other Museums

 

Additional Resources