Durlston Country Park tells its history through British Sign Language

The tour takes in iconic features of the site, including the Great Globe, Durlston Castle and of course, the World Heritage coast.

The video was produced in partnership with Heritage Ability, an organisation that works with historic sites to help make them more accessible. All its projects are developed or supported by people who understand the challenges faced by disabled people and deaf people.

Kristy Cooper, the deaf volunteer coordinator for Heritage Ability said, “Durlston Country Park is a beautiful place to visit, with so much to see. Normally when I come to places like this, I have to accept that I can’t access the information. Thanks to the Heritage Ability scheme, all that is changing I’m proud to be part of this project, so that more deaf people can have meaningful and enjoyable experiences alongside their family and friends.”

For many deaf people, English is their second language. This means that simply providing written information or subtitles on videos is not always enough, as many of the words cannot be translated into BSL.

Ali Tuckey, ranger at Durlston said, “It’s wonderful to be able to offer this BSL guided tour. Deaf visitors can now borrow the tablet at reception and explore the park while learning about this historic place. We also have an all-terrain mobility scooter free to hire, so visitors with limited mobility can explore the estate with their family and friends. We are excited to be working with Heritage Ability over the next two years to further accessibility even more.”

Daryl Turner, Dorset County Council’s cabinet member for the Natural and Built Environment said, “We are committed to making Dorset’s fantastic coast and countryside accessible for everyone to enjoy and learn from and this fabulous resource to help British Sign Language users will make a great site even better.”

The tour is provided on a tablet that is available to hire from the Castle.