blind and partially sighted

On this guided multi-sensory tour for blind and partially sighted visitors, participants can feel artworks by means of touch replicas and small reproductions of sculptures and paintings. Works also come to life through music, literature and scent. The Van Abbemuseum developed this method together with the target group and tested it extensively. Please note: these tours are in Dutch.

The tour takes place every second Sunday of the month (subject to change). We visit a different part of the museum each time, so you get to discover new artworks every tour. This multi-sensory tour is free, but a museum ticket is required. Check the calendar for upcoming tours here.

In this video you see our program for blind & partially sighted and deaf & hard of hearing visitors.

On request, the multi-sensory tours can also be booked at other days and times. The tour is also available for deafblind visitors, this tour takes two hours. For more information, contact us via reserveringen@vanabbemuseum.nl or 040-238 10 42.

The exhibition Delinking and Relinking, on display from September 2021 until 2025, is the first fully multi-sensory collection display in the Netherlands. With over 25 multi-sensory tools, including texts in Braille, scent interpretations, tactile drawings and soundscapes, Delinking and Relinking makes artworks accessible to a wide audience, including visually or hearing-impaired visitors and wheelchair users. 

Together with blind designer Simon Dogger, the Van Abbemuseum develops the indoor navigation app TikTik for blind visitors. This app makes the museum and the indoor routing accessible to everyone.

ReadSpeaker webReader reads the content of a website out loud, on any online device, wherever you are. With one click on the button at the top of the pages of this website, this tool reads the content aloud while the text is highlighted, making is easier to read along. ReadSpeaker makes the website accessible to a wide group of internet users, including people with visual impairments, learning difficulties or low literacy. But it also helps people who are learning a new language, the growing group of elderly and anyone who prefers to listen rather than read or to access websites while on the move.

MuseumTV made a mini-documentary about the Van Abbemuseum through the eyes of writer and comedian Vincent Bijlo. Inclusion is a broad term. For instance, how do you make a museum visit inclusive for people with a physical or visual impairment? Vincent Bijlo is blind and, in this documentary, he experiences the collection of the Van Abbemuseum not with his sight, but with his other senses (in Dutch).

The projects for blind and partially sighted visitors are part of the Unlimited Van Abbe-programme. The Van Abbemuseum wants to be accessible to every curious visitor, whether you are blind or visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing. Even if you are bedridden, the museum will come to you. Unlimited Van Abbe comprises monthly recurring activities for various groups, guided tours and several adjustments that improve the museum's accessibility. It is made possible by members of the VriendenLoterij.

For questions regarding the Unlimited Van Abbe programme, please contact Vivian Heyms, Constituent organiser (vivian.heyms [at] vanabbemuseum.nl / +31 6 385 568 10) or Glenda Pattipeilohy, education and mediation (glenda.pattipeilohy [at]vanabbemuseum.nl / +31 6 3855 4992). For questions regarding reservations, contact the museum via reserveringen@vanabbemuseum.nl or 040-238 10 42.