Wimborne’s Museum of East Dorset has been celebrated as a winner in this year’s Dorset Tourism Awards. The museum scooped a Silver in the ‘Small Visitor Attraction of the Year’ category.
The museum was applauded for its access improvements which now includes a British Sign Language video tour of the museum, braille books and a variety of disability aids which are free for visitors to borrow.
Recently, the museum team has worked closely with Dorset Blind Association to ensure the premises and displays are as accessible as possible to all with impairments and disabilities. Volunteers at the museum have also received training on best ways to support visually impaired and disabled visitors.
Museum director Francesca Hollow said: “This is a great accolade for our small team who all work so hard to offer a fantastic visitor experience to visitors of all abilities.
The Dorset Tourism Awards are a flagship in our industry and to be recognised by them is a such a motivational boost. Our team are buzzing.”
The museum was visited by a mystery shopper as part of the nomination process. Francesca Hollow added: “The feedback we received from this independent appraisal is so valuable and we’ll be making further improvements throughout this year based on the report recommendations “
The museum is presently hosting a special exhibition focusing on the 90’s decade which celebrates memorabilia from that era – from the Spice Girls to the Pokemon phenomenon. This runs until end of March with free half-term holiday activities including family trails and dressing-up fun.