British Museum faces equality law lawsuit over lack of audio tours

The British Museum is facing a lawsuit over its “Bayeux Tapestry” exhibition. Lawyers representing a blind man claim the museum is breaching equality laws by not offering audio-described tours.

Dr Yusuf Ali Osman asked the museum whether live audio-described tours would be offered for the eagerly awaited exhibition of the almost 1,000-year-old embroidery, which depicts William I’s conquest of England in 1066.

Osman’s lawyers said the British Museum had stated it would not offer such audio tours, because restrictions on the tapestry’s exposure to light limit visitor numbers, meaning the museum was prioritising self-guided visits.

Osman says the museum’s decision is a breach of the Equality Act, as he is discriminated against compared with sighted visitors, and is seeking damages and a court order requiring the British Museum to change its policies.

“I want to be able to visit the Bayeux Tapestry and experience it for myself,” Osman said in a statement.

His lawyer, Kate Egerton of the firm Leigh Day, said equality law obliges service providers to anticipate the needs of disabled people and to take reasonable steps to avoid substantial disadvantage.