Multilingual exhibition texts in 2025: accessible, searchable, museum-like

Museums and exhibitions thrive on visual impressions and the information they convey. However, if there are barriers to information, attending such events is hampered. In 2025, the European Accessibility Act aims to eliminate these barriers.

This means accessibility in museums

When it comes to accessibility, many people initially think of ramps or toilets designed for people with disabilities. However, physical impairments are just one barrier that excludes people from certain everyday activities. There are also barriers that disrupt or hinder the flow of information.

Such barriers can be related to language, digital platforms, or cognitive obstacles, for example. This is where the European Accessibility Act comes in. This European Union directive aims to remove barriers in public spaces and provide everyone with easy access to services and information.

In the context of accessible museums , this means that information is as easy to access as possible for all visitors and without outside assistance. This applies, among other things, to the digital systems available, labels on exhibits, and audio guides.

How museums implement the requirements of the European Union

Museums are required by the European Accessibility Act to ensure barrier-free access to exhibitions and information. In many cases, this requires adapting both the exhibitions and the technical equipment. For example, a comprehensive Wi-Fi infrastructure in museums helpful in providing visitors with constant access to digital services. This alone makes it possible to translate captions into one's own language using an app.

In addition, a large number of exhibits must be provided with subtitles and alternative texts. Multilingualism plays a key role here. Within the EU, information should at least be provided with English translations . Many museums go further and provide information in German, French and often also Spanish. QR codes are another measure to ensure accessibility in exhibitions. Visitors can scan these QR codes with their own smartphones and there they can find multilingual information.

Many museums enlist the help of specialists for this task. The services of translators or dubbing artists are now in demand to provide information about exhibitions and museums in different languages. This also applies to audio guides for museums and exhibitions . The content of websites is also being translated into several languages, which also requires skilled workers. Care must be taken to use understandable and simple language, which is another requirement of the European directive.

Benefits for tourists and visitors: Information is more easily accessible

Visitors to exhibitions and museums will particularly benefit from the new EU directive, which is being implemented into national law in all European Union member states. This applies especially to tourists. Anyone who enjoys discovering museums and exhibitions across Europe on artistic travel routes has certainly encountered barriers at some point. These can be audiovisual tours or printed information available only in the local language.

In the future, accessible information will be available to tourists in all EU countries, at least in digital form. This ranges from websites with multilingual information to guided tours with translated audio guides. Thanks to the European Accessibility Act, cultural trips will be even more informative and therefore more interesting in the future.