In partnership with UK charity Guide Dogs, Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter has introduced new tactile tours for visitors with sight loss.
The collaboration between Guide Dogs and the Harry Potter studio tour, dubbed ‘Dogwarts’, was announced last year, with the two organisations working together to improve accessibility for visitors with visual impairments.
The latest stage of the partnership involved creating new tactile tours, with visitors able to touch familiar props like the wands of Harry, Ron, Hermione and Volemort.
Also available to touch are costumes worn by Death Eaters and other characters from the film franchise, as well as fabrics from Professor Trelawney’s divination classroom.
Additionally, guests with sight loss can stroke a section of Aragog’s prickly spider leg, and touch the treasure found in Gringotts Wizarding Bank.
At the end of the tactile tour, guests can use their fingers to explore a raised floor plan of the Hogwarts castle model.
Geoff Spooner, senior vice president at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London, said guests with a visual impairment “can get hands-on to discover how their favourite Harry Potter moments were brought to life through the magic of filmmaking”.
“Our work with Guide Dogs reflects our commitment to setting a new standard of inclusivity and accessibility for visitors with sight loss at UK attractions. We hope to inspire lasting change throughout the industry and offer a magical experience for everyone that visits us,” Spooner added.
Improving accessibility at UK attractions
Alex Pepper, head of accessibility at Guide Dogs, said: “Over the past year, our partnership with the studio tour team has made impactful changes to enhance the experience for visitors with a visual impairment.
“We have worked closely together and as a result of our consultation, advice and training, we are supporting Warner Bros. Studio Tour London to drive change across the UK attractions industry, making it more accessible for people with sight loss.
“We hope visitors who are blind and partially sighted will feel confident in exploring this great attraction.”
As part of the year-long partnership, the studio tour has sponsored three guide dogs in training – black Labrador Harry, yellow Labrador Ron, and Golden Retriever Hermione.
Visitors can request a tactile tour in advance, or on the day of their visit by asking a member of staff at the studio tour.
Images courtesy of Guide Dogs
