A local museum has been praised for going beyond its remit by hosting an interactive visit for a group of visually-impaired people.

Verulamium Museum rose to the challenge of being asked to provide a ‘handling’ experience for regular listeners to the St Albans & District Talking Newspaper.

Listeners and volunteers spent three hours at the museum, the high point of which was the ‘handling’ session in which curator David Thorold helped the group to “see” various Roman objects and artefacts.

Items discussed and passed around within the group included mortaria used to grind and prepare food and coins that have been unearthed locally. The interactive session was followed by an assisted tour of the museum itself and lunch on site.

Liz Gloyn, the museum’s bookings officer, who was involved in the project from the start, said: “Verulamium Museum is committed to enabling access to the widest possible number of local residents, so it was great to be asked to provide a “handling” experience for a group with severely limited or partial sight.”