Plan your visit with mobility, sensory, lighting and tactile information about our exhibitions and heritage spaces within Old Parliament House.  

Lower Floor 

Truth Power and a Free Press 

• Sensory: Interviews with journalists play on large video screens in the centre of the room. A news ticker with red lighting runs continuously along the wall in the technology showcase. 

• Lighting: This is a dimly lit exhibition.  

• Tactile opportunities: There are interactive touch screens and audio tracks to listen to.  

• Content warning: This exhibition discusses investigative journalism covering war, sexual abuse, racial discrimination and offshore detention. It also tells stories of journalists who have experienced imprisonment and harassment. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that the exhibition contains images of people who have died. 

ABC Studio 

• Mobility: There are small rooms and narrow spaces.  

Behind the Lines  

• Sensory: The front wall of the exhibition features neon signs. When you wave your hand over the crystal ball, a video will play featuring interviews with the cartoonists. Some cartoons in the exhibition are moving GIFs. This can be a popular and busy exhibition.  

• Tactile opportunities: You can press the button on the wheel of fortune and you can wave your hand over the crystal ball to have your fortune read. Fold a take-home paper fortune teller.

• Audio descriptions: This exhibition has audio descriptions for a selection of cartoons. You can access the audio descriptions on your phone.

• Audio tour: There is an audio tour for families for a selection of cartoons. You can access the audio tour on your phone. 
  

• Mobility: When the exhibition is busy, there may be a lot of people in the hallways where the cartoons are hung.  

• Content warning: This exhibition features cartoons that discuss sexual abuse, deaths in custody, the pandemic and war.  

Main Floor  

King’s Hall 

• Sensory: Large groups of people can meet in this area, and it can be loud and busy at times.  

• Seating: There are seats to sit and rest.  

House of Representatives Chamber 

• Mobility: There are some small steps into the chamber. There are some areas of the room that are not accessible to wheelchair users.  

• Seating: You can sit in the leather seats.  

Hive Mind 

• Sensory: A quiet audio narration plays in the exhibition. Several walls of the exhibition feature a floor to ceiling honeycomb pattern. The lounge area of the exhibition is a quiet place.  

• Tactile opportunities: There are books, puzzles and activities using pen and paper.  

• Seating: There is seating in the lounge area of this exhibition. 

• Mobility: The ramps leading from the exhibition to the terrace rooms are narrow.  

Yours Faithfully 

• Seating: There are seats at the tables and around the exhibition.  

• Tactile opportunities: There are typewriters and pen and paper to write letters. 

Prime Minister’s Suite 

• Mobility: There are small rooms and some narrow spaces. 

Australia’s Public Service – for the government of the day 

• Sensory: A video plays in one of the exhibition rooms.  

• Mobility: Some sections of the exhibition are narrow. 

• Seating: There is seating in the video room. 

Onetoeight 

• Sensory: An animated video plays on a screen. The wallpaper is a vivid, bright blue and pink pattern that covers all the walls.  

Speaker’s Suite 

• Mobility: There are small rooms and some narrow spaces. 

UNSW Howard Library 

• Lighting: Some areas of this exhibition are dimly lit.  

Democracy DNA  

• Sensory: Screens playing film hang from the ceiling. There are touch screens throughout the exhibition. 

• Mobility: There are small alcoves along the outer edge of the exhibition which only fit a few people at a time.   

• Lighting: There are some dimly lit sections of the exhibition. 

• Tactile opportunities: There are opportunities to use interactive touch screens. There are hands-on interactives that you can touch and play with in each of the alcoves in the exhibition. The interactives include a marble run,  melted aluminium pots, dioramas, cricket balls to spin, handles to turn, and switches to activate audio content.

Democracy. Are You In?  

• Sensory: A video with bright flickering lights and a loud, unexpected soundtrack plays every time someone enters the room. 

• Lighting: There are some dimly lit sections of the exhibition. 

• Tactile opportunities: There are opportunities to use touch screens and complete activities with pen and paper. 

Senate Chamber 

• Mobility: There are some small steps into the chamber. Some areas are not accessible to wheelchair users. 

• Seating: Opportunity to sit down. 

PlayUP 

• Mobility: PlayUP is wheelchair accessible. 

• Sensory: There is a screen at the entrance of the exhibition with changing colours in a hallway with dim lights. Some walls in the exhibition feature bright coloured wallpaper and artwork. Music plays in the first room of the exhibition space. The last room in the exhibition is a quiter space with dimmer lighting and no music.

• Tactile opportunities: Craft activities, books and interactive games are available in this exhibition. Craft equipment and materials suitable to different abilities are provided and facilitators can adapt craft activities for your needs. 

• Assistive features: There is an AUSLAN interpreted screen with closed captioning.  

• Baby change: There are baby change facilities and an accessible bathroom in the exhibition.  

• Seating: Seating for both adults and children is available in all rooms. 

Furnished 

• Lighting: This exhibition is dimly lit. 

Zine Lounge 

• Seating: There is seating in this exhibition  

• Sensory: Music plays in the space.  

• Tactile opportunities: You can use art supplies to make a zine. 

DressUP: Change the World 

• Seating: There is seating in this exhibition. 

• Tactile opportunities: There are opportunities for adults and children to dress up in clothes and accessories in this exhibition. There are audio tracks to listen to, books to read and an interactive screen. 

Happy and Glorious 

• Mobility: There are some narrow sections of the exhibition. 

A Country Mile 

• Sensory: A quiet audio track plays classical music in the Country Party Room. A video plays in the exhibition.  

• Mobility: There are small rooms and some narrow spaces. 

Writs to Referendums

• Sensory: This exhibition has a light projection upon entry and features multiple videos. 
• Lighting: This exhibition has low lighting. 

Blueprint

• Lighting: This exhibition has low lighting. 
• Assistive features: There is an AUSLAN interpreted video with closed captioning.  
• Sensory: There are multiple videos in this exhibition. 
• Tactile opportunities: There are interactive video screens and an interactive wall installation with buttons you can press. 

Upper Floor 

Press Gallery 

• Sensory: Loud noises play abruptly throughout the exhibition. 

• Mobility: The press gallery overlooking the House of Representatives is very narrow. There is an elevator to reach the press gallery.  

• Lighting: Some rooms have low lighting.