What makes the Museum of the Canals wheelchair-friendly?
Eline Duk from The Spoonies Community (left) and Josephine Rees from Able Amsterdam (right). Able Amsterdam is a proud partner of the Museum of the Canals.
In 2023 Able Amsterdam became a proud partner of the Museum of the Canals and Hôtes Culture. Providing accessibility feedback has been one of the many things I have been able to do as part of our partnership. Please note that this blog post contains affiliate links.
The Museum of the Canals is on a mission to become “the most wheelchair-friendly museum in the centre of Amsterdam”. To help make this goal a reality, I was recently invited by Martijn Bosch — Director of the Museum of the Canals — to do a museum tour and provide accessibility feedback. Together with Eline Duk, my fellow Amsterdammer and accessibility advocate, we set out to assess all aspects related to wheelchair accessibility. Today I’ll be sharing some insights on what makes the Museum of the Canals wheelchair-friendly.
A wheelchair-friendly canal house in the heart of Amsterdam
Founded in 2012, the Museum of the Canals (or “Grachtenmuseum Amsterdam” in Dutch) is located on Herengracht 386. The museum is dedicated to the history- and importance- of the canals in Amsterdam. Inside you’ll find 17th century period rooms as well as a modern multimedia tour. Every few months a new temporary art exhibition is held. Find out more about the historic building and the current temporary exhibition on the Museum of the Canals’ official website.
One of the unique qualities of the Museum of the Canals is its wheelchair accessibility. Many other canal houses in Amsterdam which are open to the public do not have the same level of wheelchair accessibility. This is not always due to a lack of willingness, but due to the more restrictive regulations on making modifications to Dutch historic buildings in recent years. The Museum of the Canals was renovated prior to the new regulations and is therefore one of the few wheelchair-friendly canal houses in Amsterdam.
A historic room overlooking the Herengracht
A green-themed room decorated with floor-to-ceiling wall art
A beautiful sunny day inside the Museum of the Canals
A modern accessible entrance to a historic building
The Museum of the Canals is housed in a stunning building from 1665. At first glance, the entrance appears to be stairs-only. However, a modern feat of accessibility blends in perfectly with the surrounding architecture. At the press of a button (operated by museum staff) the stone steps to the left of the entrance transform into a wheelchair platform lift. This takes visitors down to the basement and into the museum.
When I first saw the platform lift, my jaw dropped. I was in awe of such a modern wheelchair-friendly solution that complements a centuries-old building. Eager to share my enthusiasm with others, I posted a video of the platform lift on my Able Amsterdam Instagram page. The video has since been viewed a whopping 500,000 times. Scroll down below to see the platform lift in action.
The main entrance to the Museum of the Canals on Herengracht 386
Eline ready to test the wheelchair-friendly entrance
The wheelchair-friendly entrance before it is transformed
With the click of a button, the steps move up to form a wheelchair platform lift
Wheelchair-friendly features inside the Museum of the Canals
The Museum of the Canals has a number of wheelchair-friendly features inside the building. These include:
Spacious rooms
A lift to every floor and collection
An accessible toilet with grab rails, a low sink, and an alarm cord
As a direct response to feedback provided by Eline and myself, the Museum of the Canals now additionally has:
Manual wheelchairs available for visitors to borrow
A disabled parking space in front of the building
Detailed accessibility information on the museum website
Signposting about wheelchair accessibility
The wheelchair-friendly entrance is now clearly signposted
A lift takes visitors to every floor and collection
Lightweight collapsible chairs can be used by visitors
The Museum of the Canals has a wheelchair-friendly toilet
Upcoming accessibility plans and improvements
Throughout our tour of the Museum of the Canals, Eline and I highlighted a number of potential further accessibility improvements. Currently, museum staff are exploring possibilities for various features, including:
Lowering the height of scanners for the audio tour
Providing a ramp to make the museum garden wheelchair accessible
Equipping the museum with an evacuation mattress for upper floors
Creating an alternative way for visitors to view and experience some of the higher rooms of the museum dollhouse (that are currently out of sight for wheelchair users)
The Museum of the Canals is currently looking into making its garden wheelchair accessible
Feeling inspired to visit the Museum of the Canals?
For further wheelchair accessibility information, visit Able Amsterdam’s Museum of the Canals page. To learn more about the Museum of the Canals, its history, and exhibitions, visit the official museum website.
