History at your fingertips

Touching is believing!

When visiting a museum in Thailand, one grows accustomed to all those "Do not touch!" signs. "Fine," most of us think, "we can still look at what's behind the glass."

But what about people who don't have sight? Have we ever considered their chance to appreciate these highly protected antiques? Luckily, the National Museum of Bangkok has given it some thought.

Recently, 25 children from the Bangkok School for the Blind were given the opportunity to take part in a "touch programme" pilot that aims to help visually challenged children learn about Thai history by touching inscriptions and ancient pots in the museum's collection.

"These children deserve to learn about their roots and be taught through more than a Braille textbook," says museum curator Disapong Netlomwong. "Although they can't see, touching objects from the past will help them understand how their ancestors lived."

The oneday tour began in the museum's Thai prehistory gallery, where the kids learned about life in the Northeast by touching shards and artefacts, such as pots and ceramics from Ban Chiang.

"We decided to give them knowledge about prehistory because it is a period that is not included in the curriculum, compared to the Sukhothai or Ayutthaya periods," Disapong says.

In the afternoon, the students enjoyed making their own pots.

"Without touching, we would not be able to understand these things like a person with normal vision. So, for us, the moulding session was like the practical part in learning Thai history," says Kannica Wongpen, one of the participants.

The touch tour was organised by the National Museum, the Thailand Association for the Blind and National Museum Volunteers. More tours like this are being planned for the near future.

Xtra

AT A TOUCH

Foreign tourists with sight difficulties can contact the National Museum Volunteers at (081) 450 9532 for a tour in English at the National Museum or visit www.MuseumVolunteersBKK.net/blind_project.html.