Chocolate Nation launches experience for deaf and hard-of-hearing people
At Chocolate Nation, experience is at the heart of everything and that experience must be accessible to everyone. The largest Belgian chocolate museum in the world is therefore taking an important step forward in inclusion with the launch of MapMyVisit, an innovative app that enables fully independent and accessible museum visits for deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors.
A museum experience in text and visuals
While visitors can already use audio guides in five languages to discover the story of Belgian chocolate at their own pace, MapMyVisit now offers a fully fledged alternative for those for whom auditory support is not an option.
The app allows deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors to follow the entire route independently, supported by clear text and visual content. In doing so, it truly opens up the magical world of cocoa and Belgian chocolate to everyone.
From the cocoa plantations along the equator to the impressive chocolate fantasy machine, every step of the experience is now accessible in Dutch, French, English, German and Spanish.
Working visit by Minister Rob Beenders
The launch did not go unnoticed. Minister Rob Beenders, responsible for Persons with Disabilities, paid a working visit to Chocolate Nation and personally tested the application.
“It is good to see that Chocolate Nation is making an effort to make the museum as accessible as possible. Initiatives such as MapMyVisit show that inclusion is a conscious choice. By offering innovative tools, Chocolate Nation gives deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors the opportunity to experience the museum in an equal and independent way. That is where we want to go: culture that is truly open to everyone.”
Innovation and hospitality go hand in hand
The Chocolate Nation team remains committed to further investing in accessibility.
“Thanks to MapMyVisit, deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors can now experience the story of Belgian chocolate in an equally immersive way,” says Ellen Van Orshaegen, spokesperson for Chocolate Nation. “In addition, we will soon expand our audio guides and app with three new languages, allowing even more visitors to discover the unique story of Belgian chocolate in their native language.”
With this expansion, Chocolate Nation underlines its ambition to be a warm, innovative and inclusive museum. Because a truly memorable experience does not stop at taste and wonder, it begins with accessibility.