Spy Museum to Make Exhibits Accessible

Blind Visitor's Complaint Spurs Agreement With Justice Dept.

The International Spy Museum yesterday announced a wide-ranging agreement with the Justice Department to make exhibits more accessible to persons with disabilities, especially those with hearing or vision impairments.

A complaint by a blind visitor in August 2004 was the catalyst for the federal effort to get the six-year-old museum to bring its exhibits, public programs and physical spaces into compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA).

E. Peter Earnest, the executive director of the Spy Museum, said the for-profit attraction has spent about $400,000 making the improvements and will be making more changes over the next two years as part of the agreement. "We intend to exceed what they are asking for," Earnest said.

Among the changes called for in the 22-page agreement:

· New closed captioning in video presentations that visitors can activate with a special card.

· A 90-minute tour for the visually impaired, with a guide to describe the exhibits (there will be one tour a month, starting in July; others can be arranged by request).

· Providing objects (both real and replicas) from the history of espionage that can be handled by the visually impaired.

· Sign language guides provided by request.