Opening Doors, Minds and Hearts: National Gallery Singapore’s Journey to Making Art Accessible
Ms Katelyn Wong remembers being a bundle of nerves before running her first community host tour at National Gallery Singapore (Gallery). As a community host, she needed to welcome Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (PWIDs) and support their tour of the Gallery. With experience as senior executive of the National Gallery Singapore Community and Access team, Ms Wong was well-equipped for the task — but still, she could not help worrying if she would execute it well.
Her concerns turned out to be unfounded. In fact, one PWID took such a liking to Ms Wong, that she continuously sought Ms Wong out during the tour, and wanted to hold her hand as they walked through the Gallery.
It was a small gesture, but one that bolstered Ms Wong’s confidence tremendously. It also reinforced her belief in how such social activities can help foster a more inclusive society. “I believe interactions with PWIDs can significantly reshape perceptions, and that the personal connections and shared experiences can break down barriers, as well as highlight the capabilities of PWIDs,” she says.
Creating Opportunities for Inclusion
Opportunities for PWIDs to interact with and befriend others have been steadily growing over the years thanks to MINDS Me Too! Club, which arranges leisure and befriending activities that bring together people from all walks of life.
The Gallery came on board to partner the Me Too! Club in 2020 and since then, has facilitated various guided tours and self-guided visits for PWIDs and caregivers to enjoy the Gallery’s exhibitions, programmes, and festivals. This includes the popular Light to Night Singapore and Gallery’s Children Biennale. Between 2022 and 2023, 28 group visits were conducted.
For Ms Wong, each of these visits she participates in has been a learning experience that helps her become more attuned to the needs of PWIDs. “I’ve learned tips for interacting with PWIDs and gained insights on how we can improve the Gallery’s accessibility provisions further, all of which enables me to better support the groups during their visits,” she affirms.
Reimagining A Better,
Kinder World
Initiatives to Make Art Accessible to All
Ms Loretta Lim, Manager, Community & Access shares that the Gallery’s journey towards inclusivity started back in 2018 with the development of the Community & Access team.
“Through our initiatives across policy, partnerships and programming, we seek to ensure visitors from underserved communities can enjoy equitable opportunities to experience the Gallery and make meaningful connections with our art, heritage and offerings,” she says.
Testament to the Gallery’s commitment to accessibility and inclusion, the Gallery has developed accessibility guides and resources for visitors, such as the general Gallery Access Guide, and exhibition and festival access advisories. Particularly useful for PWIDs are the Gallery Social Stories, guides filled with photographs to help visitors understand what to expect when they visit, and where to go if they feel overwhelmed. In addition, the Gallery has also designed the Calm Room — a dedicated space with features like an ambient soundscape and private seating pods, for them to rest if they feel over-stimulated or overwhelmed by the environment.
I’ve learned tips for interacting with PWIDs and gained insights on how we can improve the Gallery’s accessibility provisions further, all of which enables me to better support the groups during their visits.
Collaboration is Key to an Inclusive Society
Ms Lim adds that for these initiatives to succeed, and inclusivity to truly take root, takes teamwork. In designing the Calm Room, for instance, she and her team partnered up with autistic artist-researcher, Dr Dawn-Joy Leong.
“Dr Leong was able to offer key insights on building calm spaces, based on surveys and focus group sessions that she conducted with neurodivergent communities. She also trained Gallery staff in inclusive customer service,” Ms Lim explains.
And to ensure their guided tours are well-received and suitable for PWIDs, the team works closely with Ms Julia Ng, Programme Development & Support Office, MINDS. The perspectives Ms Ng provided have been pivotal in helping the Gallery design a framework for engaging PWIDs and deciding the types of activities the Gallery can introduce to museum tours.
Reflecting on the progress made thus far, Ms Lim muses that it has brought “great joy” to see these new features introduced into tours, and how participants bond, share and connect — with each other and with art.
“We hope that the Gallery’s continued partnership with MINDS will continue to improve the PWID community and their families’ experience when they visit us,” she says.
Ms Ng concurs. “The Gallery is a second home to some of our families, as they feel safe and welcomed to appreciate art in their own capacity. Our success on this front comes from a shared goal in making art accessible for PWIDs. My team hopes to continuously co-develop spaces and experiences through tailored tours, sensory workshops and more, creating spaces that all can feel comfortable and included!”
As MINDS celebrates over 60 years of serving the PWID community, we would like to encourage community organisations to partner with us to make community facilities and resources more accessible to PWIDs and their families.
Like National Gallery Singapore, your efforts, together with initiatives like the MINDS Me Too! Club, can open the door to a more compassionate and inclusive society for all.
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