State Historical Museum of Iowa unveils new signs to improve accessibility

DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) – A new feature at the State Historical Museum of Iowa in Des Moines debuted this weekend.

NaviLens launched on Saturday after two years of planning.

More than 500 codes are spread across the museum’s first floor. It’s designed to make exhibits more accessible for Iowans.

One version of the app is for those who have low vision or are blind.

It’s easy to use. The app is constantly scanning for codes

The idea of NaviLens started in Lindsay Keast’s kitchen when she saw a colorful code on a cereal box.

”I thought, why not bring that into a museum so that people can navigate the space?” said Keast, with the State Historical Museum of Iowa.

”I can sum that up just in one word, which would be independence. By having the NaviLens tags throughout the exhibits means that I can come to the historical society and go through an exhibit on my own,” said Bettina Dolinsek, State Historical Museum of Iowa Accessibility Consultant.

The app also includes descriptions of objects around the museum, things like stairs and elevators.

Museum staff hope to expand NaviLens to the entire space. It’s also a yearly subscription for the service and they’re already fundraising for those efforts.

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