SEND Visits | Maidstone Museum Accessibility

Prepare for your visit

We offer a number of resources to help you plan your visit in advance and know what to expect.

Photograph walk-through

A photograph walk-through shows a route through the museum, including galleries, signage and key spaces.

PECS®-style set of pictures and symbols

A PECS®-style set of pictures and symbols is available to help plan the sequence of your visit. These match the symbols used on the museum map and can be printed, laminated and added to personal communication boards.
A schools version of this planning board is also available on request, including images linked to workshop sessions.

Download the visit sequence cards

Fidget backpacks

Borrow a fidget backpack

Spike’s Fidget Backpacks are available to help make your visit more enjoyable and support a calm, comfortable experience. They are available for families, school groups and individual visitors.

Backpacks are free to borrow from the main reception desk. You will be asked to leave a form of ID (such as a passport, driving licence or credit card), which will be securely stored and returned when the backpack is returned.

You are welcome to call in advance to reserve a backpack for your visit: 01622 602838

Each backpack includes:

Ear defenders

Fiddle toys

Magnifying glass

Sand timers

A puppet to take around the museum

A ‘Today I will visit’ PECS-style planning board

A museum map with quiet zones marked

A photo list of contents

Makaton signing

Some members of the team are learning Makaton to support communication with visitors.

We are in the early stages of introducing Makaton symbols and hand signs around the museum, including a Makaton signing trail. This is part of an ongoing effort to improve communication and accessibility for visitors.

For more information about SEND provision in museums across the UK, visit:

Visit SEND in museums Watch SEND in Museums Advocacy Film