The Portrait Gallery is committed to being accessible and inclusive. If you have any further questions about our programs, please contact Visitor Services at 202-633-8300 or email jonesve@si.edu.
Portrait Signs
Explore the National Portrait Gallery's collection with a Deaf docent. These 60-minute tours in American Sign Language are usually offered twice a month, both in person and on Zoom. For more information and upcoming dates, email jonesve@si.edu, or check Eventbrite.
See Me at the Portrait Gallery:
Experience an interactive virtual tour of the museum that is tailored to individuals with dementia and their care partners. Registration is required. For more information and to register, contact Ashley Grady at Access@si.edu or 202–633–2921.
Tours by Special Request
Tours can be tailored to meet the needs, interests, and abilities of your group. To make arrangements, contact jonesve@si.edu or 202-633-8506.
Student Programs
Student programs at the National Portrait Gallery can accommodate a variety of learners, including students with low vision or blindness, developmental or cognitive disabilities, and those requiring ASL interpretation. To schedule a program for your class, go to the online registration page and provide as much information as possible in the relevant text boxes.
Audio Descriptions of Presidential Portraits
The Portrait Gallery has developed audio descriptions of select portraits from our signature exhibition, “America’s Presidents.” Designed for people who are blind or have low vision, these descriptions use precise, evocative language to convey the visual appearance of art, and are equally valuable for sighted visitors seeking closer observation.
Visit our Audio Descriptions page
Lincoln Tactile Installation
Enjoy a multi-sensory experience of the museum’s casts of President Lincoln’s face mask and hands.
Online Tours in American Sign Language
Enjoy ASL tours of Portrait Gallery exhibitions including One Life: Marian Anderson, Portraits of the World: Switzerland and The Outwin 2019: American Portraiture Today on the museum’s YouTube channel.
