Alistair Hardaker | Image: British Museum (Regina Victorica)
Letter seeks damages and training, while museum says it will offer an in-person audio-described tour and is exploring an app version.
A blind man has launched legal action against the British Museum after claims that audio-described tours for its Bayeux Tapestry exhibition would not be provided.
Law firm Leigh Day says it sent a legal letter to the British Museum on behalf of Dr Yusuf Ali Osman, which argues that the British Museum has failed to comply with its duty to make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act.
Dr Osman is registered blind and has no sight in either eye. The law firm claims Dr Osman had contacted the British Museum in July 2026 to ask whether live audio-described tours would be available when the tapestry went on display.
The law firm says the museum confirmed to Dr Osman that audio described tours would not form part of its current programme as hours were restricted by light exposure to the tapestry, and it was prioritising self-guided visits instead.
On the museum’s exhibition webpage, an audio guide is not listed in its accessible resources, but a large print guide was recently added to the page.
A British Museum spokesperson said:“The Museum is committed to making the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition as accessible as possible and has worked with specialist access consultants to inform the exhibition experience.
“Provisions include a sensory map to help visitors prepare for their visit, as well as dedicated tours during the exhibition run which will include an in-person audio-described tour. We are also exploring including a separate audio-described tour as part of the exhibition’s app-based audio guide.”
The law firm says that without audio description, Dr Osman is unable to access the visual information conveyed by the tapestry in the same way as sighted visitors.
In a pre-action protocol letter (PAP) sent to the museum on 24 September 2026, Dr Osman argues that “the museum’s failure to provide audio description places him at a substantial disadvantage compared with sighted visitors, who are able to access the visual information contained in the tapestry without an auxiliary aid.”
Dr Osman is seeking damages, a declaration that he has been discriminated against and an order requiring the museum to amend its policies and ensure relevant staff receive disability awareness training.
Dr Osman said: “I want to be able to visit the Bayeux Tapestry and experience it for myself. I understand that there are important restrictions around how the tapestry is displayed, but it is disappointing to find that blind visitors are not being offered an audio described way of experiencing it.
“I hope that this legal action will help make sure that blind and partially sighted people are properly considered when major exhibitions are planned, so that we can enjoy and engage with our national cultural institutions on a more equal footing.”
