When my brother and I went to visit New York City in 2018, one of the things I was most excited about was visiting the Museum of Modern Art with vision loss. While it may seem odd that someone who uses a blindness cane would be so enthusiastic about visual art, MOMA has a lot of really cool accessibility features for guests who are blind or that have low vision. Here are my tips for visiting the Museum of Modern Art with visual impairment, inclusive of blind, low vision, and neurological visual impairment/CVI.
Planning a MoMA visit with visual impairment
Before visiting a place for the first time, I find it helpful to look at a map or video tour/virtual tour inside the building so I know how the space is configured and have a general idea of where exhibits or other areas of interest are located. MoMA has a digital map posted online with high contrast font and a list of exhibits on each floor, which can be helpful for route planning— I recommend visitors with low vision view the map on a touchscreen device like a tablet so that it is easier to enlarge with pinch-to-zoom.
Another helpful tool for visitors with visual impairments and especially cerebral/cortical visual impairment (CVI) is the Social Guide posted on the MoMA website, which provides images of different areas of the museum and gives visitors an idea of what to expect when navigating the museum and the different guest services that are available. The social narratives can also be used along with the sensory friendly map that shows low-stimulation areas, as well as the sensory kit that has noise cancelling headphones and sunglasses.
While these resources are designed with autism and neurodiverse visitors in mind, they are very helpful for visitors who experience vision fluctuations due to environmental factors (lighting, noise, crowds, temperature, etc.).
Related links
- MoMA Social Guide
- MoMA Sensory Map (PDF)
- Visiting The Met With Visual Impairment
- Disability Accommodations For Fluctuating Eyesight
Audio description at MOMA
One of the reasons I love visiting art museums so much is the opportunity to listen to audio description and use audio tours to provide context and clarification about art that I’m looking at. The Museum of Modern Art offers several audio tours for exploring exhibits and items in the permanent collection, and can be accessed either through the museum’s mobile application or directly from the web browser with no downloads required.
Options for exploring MoMA’s audio tour and accessing audio description include:
What to expect from audio description
Each audio description track describes visual details of the artwork such as colors, textures, patterns, materials used, and size, as well as other details that are covered on the exhibit labels such as history and more information about the artist. Some exhibits also include interviews with the artists and art historians in addition to descriptions, and extended descriptions are available online in the form of podcasts.
One of the descriptions I found especially interesting is the descriptions for Jackson Pollock’s drip paintings, and Claude Monet’s Water Lillies. I’m always excited to see Monet’s work since learning that he likely lived with a visual impairment, which influenced the blurry style of his work.
ACCESSING AUDIO TOURS AT MoMA
As mentioned, audio tours are hosted on MoMA’s website and mobile application— users can connect their personal devices to the free wireless internet hotspot within the museum, but will need to bring their own device and headphones. When I visited MoMA in 2018, there was a limited amount of handheld assistive listening devices available for free for visually impaired visitors, but they do not appear to be available anymore as of 2025– the audio tour is accessed exclusively through personal devices.
QR Codes at MoMA
Wondering what those QR codes are next to an exhibit or on a piece of glass? QR codes are associated with audio tracks and transcripts that provide a description and additional context about art on display. To listen to a description, scan the QR code either with the MoMA app or another QR code reader of choice.
In addition to the QR codes, many exhibits also have stop numbers or audio numbers. Visitors type in the audio number number found on the exhibit signs and listen to a 4-7 minute description of the artwork or design concept presented. Additional audio tours available include a tour for kids that provides more vivid descriptions and tours in foreign languages.
EXHIBITION PLAYLISTS
For visitors in a specific gallery, exhibition playlists offer a playlist of each item on display, along with an image of the item— some images can be enlarged or viewed full screen on the website, but not in the mobile app. Visitors can pause or rewind tracks at any time within the media player.
Bonus: MoMA Magazine Podcast
While these aren’t designed to be listened to inside the museum in the way that the audio guides are, podcasts are an excellent resource for people who love visiting MoMA with visual impairment because it is a nonvisual way to engage with art! The MoMA Magazine podcast has several series and interviews with artists, as well as descriptions and conversations about art that provide additional insight and context about items on display.
Related links
- Audio | MoMA
- Magazine | MoMA
- Tips For Visiting Art Museums With Low Vision
- How Amazon Alexa Can Help You With Art
- Ten Ways Visual Impairment Influenced Classic Artists
Viewing high resolution images at MOMA
Google Assistant or Siri searches
I have an Android phone, so I can ask Google Assistant to search for a given art item on display by saying the name of the piece, along with the name of the artist if available. After saying or typing my request, I can quickly get access to several images of the item on display so I can view them on my phone more easily- this is a great way to view intricate details that I wouldn’t be able to see in-person. Another option is to take a photo with the Google Lens app to reverse search an image and access high resolution versions, which can be helpful in crowded environments where it is challenging to get up close to art.
MOMA Collection
The Museum of Modern Art has an archive of many of their items on display on the Collection section of their website, where visitors can search for artists and their works online and get access to high-resolution images and text-based descriptions.
Virtual Views
Virtual Views is another MOMA program that provides online guided tours and high resolution images for select exhibits, including traveling exhibits and permanent exhibitions.
YouTube
Want to explore exhibits and different art styles even more in-depth? MOMA’s YouTube channel has a ton of interesting content that viewers can check out before or after going to the museum.
Related links
- How I Use Google Assistant While Traveling
- How I Use Google Lens With Low Vision
- The Collection | MoMA
- Virtual Views | MoMA
- The Museum of Modern Art – YouTube
- How To Make Virtual Museums Accessible For Visual Impairments
Getting live descriptions of artwork at MOMA
Aira visual interpreters
Aira is a paid visual interpreting service that connects users with professional visual interpreters, who can provide descriptions of items on display and helps visitors navigate the museum with vision loss- interpreters have access to maps of the inside of the museum to assist with wayfinding. I prefer to use Aira for navigating between exhibits and listen to the audio guide for descriptions.
MOMA tours for blind and visually impaired
The Museum of Modern Art offers specialty tours for blind and visually impaired visitors monthly with their Art InSight program- these tours are free of charge and require advance registration. I have not attended an InSight tour at MOMA, but have attended similar tours at other museums and loved it!
Related links
- Smartphone Apps For Orientation and Mobility
- Accessible Maps and Wayfinding Tools For Low Vision
- Art inSight | MoMA
More tips for visiting the Museum of Modern Art with vision loss
- Users can activate high-contrast text on the MOMA website by scrolling to the bottom and selecting Use High Contrast Text
- Another option for visiting MOMA with low vision is to explore their collection on Google Arts and Culture, which can be found at MoMA The Museum of Modern Art, New York, United States — Google Arts & Culture
Related posts on Veronica With Four Eyes
- Visiting The Met With Visual Impairment
- All About Audio Description For Broadway Plays
- How Amazon Alexa Can Help You Listen To History
Published December 11, 2018. Updated June 2023