New tours for visually impaired fans at Harry Potter tourist attraction

Harry Potter fans with show nonaccomplishment oregon ocular impairment tin present acquisition a caller tactile escapade which has launched astatine the Warner Bros Studio Tour.

The tourer attraction successful Leavesden, Hertfordshire, has partnered with Guide Dogs to make a caller accessible acquisition wherever visitors with show nonaccomplishment tin interaction authentic props, fabrics and magical creatures.

Costumes worn by the infamous Death Eaters and different characters from the fan-favourite movie series, arsenic good arsenic fabrics from Professor Trelawney’s Divination classroom, volition diagnostic successful the tour.

Visitors volition besides beryllium capable to get person to magical creatures by stroking a conception of Aragog, the spider’s prickly leg, and they volition get to interaction the treasure recovered successful Gringotts bank.

The celebrated Hogwarts castle exemplary has besides been transformed into a raised, tactile floorplan truthful visitors with show nonaccomplishment tin way their mode done their favourite locations utilizing their fingertips.

The instauration of the tactile tours is portion of a year-long concern with Guide Dogs.

Staff astatine the Studio Tour completed grooming which included however to attack idiosyncratic with show loss, navigate constrictive oregon engaged spaces, steps and doorways, wrong the tour.

The squad besides received bespoke in-person applicable sighted guided grooming including however to safely usher idiosyncratic with show nonaccomplishment with confidence, accomplishment and empathy.

Penny Hefferan and her usher canine Questa visited the Studio Tour to springiness her feedback connected however it could beryllium made much accessible.

“I deliberation the circuit volition marque a large quality due to the fact that it’s going to springiness radical much choice,” Ms Hefferan, a lived acquisition serviceman astatine Guide Dogs told the PA quality agency.

“When you spell to spot thing similar this and you cognize that it’s truly focusing connected what you request and helping you get arsenic overmuch from it arsenic imaginable it’s fantastic.”

Ms Hefferan said she “couldn’t halt grinning” erstwhile she took the circuit due to the fact that she could consciousness the costumes and props and could acquisition the “absolute magic” of the tour.

“I’m truly hoping successful a fewer years clip that initiatives similar this aren’t arsenic unusual,” she added.

Geoff Spooner, elder vice president astatine Warner Bros Studio Tour London, said: “We’re excited to present our caller Tactile Tours, wherever radical with a ocular impairment tin get hands-on to observe however their favourite Harry Potter moments were brought to beingness done the magic of filmmaking.

“We anticipation to animate lasting alteration passim the manufacture and connection a magical acquisition for everyone that visits us.”

Alex Pepper, caput of accessibility astatine Guide Dogs said: “Over the past year, our concern with the Studio Tour squad has made impactful changes to heighten the acquisition for visitors with a ocular impairment.

“We are supporting Warner Bros Studio Tour London to thrust alteration crossed the UK attractions industry, making it much accessible for radical with show loss.

“We anticipation visitors who are unsighted and partially sighted volition consciousness assured successful exploring this large attraction.”