A new exhibition at the Manx Museum has been described as one of the most accessible ever staged in the Isle of Man.

‘Mind Your Language!’, jointly curated by Culture Vannin and Manx National Heritage, has been created as part of Blein ny Gaelgey (Year of the Manx Language) and aims to make the story of the Manx language accessible to as many people as possible.

The bilingual exhibition incorporates a range of accessibility features, including braille, large-print, audio, tactile and inclusive digital resources.

Culture Vannin’s Manx language development officer, Ruth Keggin Gell, worked with accessible format specialist Natasha Molyneux-Smith of ‘Dot & Type’ to produce a complete braille version of the exhibition, alongside a large-print edition.

Ruth said: ‘From the outset, I was really keen that the exhibition should be as accessible as possible, not only through the tone and content of the exhibition, which doesn’t assume any prior knowledge of Manx, but also in the way that it was presented.

‘We want as many people as possible to be able to engage with the stories, sounds and history of Manx in ways that works for them.’

Accompanying exhibition guides contain the full text from every panel and label. Braille markers positioned throughout the exhibition direct readers to the relevant sections of the guides and to an online resource.

The guides have been designed to reflect the exhibition’s colourful visual identity, which is inspired by the branding for the Year of the Manx Language.

The braille edition also includes tactile elements such as a raised map of the Isle of Man and a tactile ‘language tree’, as well as descriptions of the exhibition’s appearance and layout and all Manx Gaelic text featured in the display.

Accessibility measures have also been incorporated into the exhibition’s interactive features - a word-spinner game includes individual braille labels for each of the 81 words featured.

Visitors can also access online resources through LearnManx exhibition resources, where audio recordings of every exhibition panel and label are available in both Manx and English. The website also hosts audio-described versions of the exhibition’s films.

Natasha Molyneux-Smith of Dot & Type said: ‘It's been an absolute privilege to help make the exhibition accessible through large print, braille and tactile design.

‘Every element has been carefully considered to help blind and partially sighted visitors experience the exhibition as independently as possible.’

Peter Marshall, marketing and fundraising lead at sight loss charity Sight Matters, added: ‘We're delighted to see so much thought and care go into making Mind Your Language! accessible.

‘Culture belongs to everyone, and initiatives like this show that with the right planning, blind and partially sighted people can enjoy the same rich, engaging experiences as everyone else. It's a brilliant example of inclusive design in action, and we hope it encourages others to follow suit.’

‘Mind Your Language!’ at the Manx Museum in Douglas will be open until October 4.