Accessibility

Historic Northampton strives to make both its physical locations and this website accessible to all.

Museum Accessibility

Historic Northampton welcomes individuals of all abilities to visit the museum’s exhibition gallery and attend programs and events.

If you would like to request accommodations or have questions about physical access, please contact the museum at info@historicnorthampton.org or call the main office 413-584-6011 in advance of your visit.

Accessibility at Damon Education Center

The main entrance, museum exhibition gallery, and restroom are located in a modern addition behind the Damon House at 46 Bridge Street, Northampton, MA 01060.

Main Entrance Door

  • There is an automatic door operated by a push button.
  • The clear width is 33 ¼” wide when the door is open at a 90-degree angle.
  • There is a threshold but there are no steps to enter the door.
  • The clear width to enter the exhibit gallery is 33” wide.
  • The exhibit features life-size silhouettes in the center of the exhibit space all of which have a 32” clear width.

Restroom

  • The clear width to enter the bathroom is 29” wide when the door is open at a 90-degree angle.

Museum Store

  • The museum store is next to the main entrance and is accessible.

Pathway

From the Bridge Street sidewalk, one needs to travel on a brick walkway to the main entrance door.  The walkway is about 5 feet wide; slightly less in snowy weather.  The length is about 87 feet from the sidewalk to the doorway.  There is a grade that begins halfway toward the main door.  Where the grade begins, there is a fence at left, but it does not have handlebars.  Although it was regraded several years ago, the grade may be over 5% at this time.

Parking Accessibility

Historic Northampton has two accessible parking spaces next door to the Parsons House at 58 Bridge Street to the left of the entrance driveway.  From the parking space, one would travel back to the Bridge Street sidewalk towards the Damon House and up the brick walkway to the main entrance door of the Damon Education Center. 

The city of Northampton has one accessible on-street parking space without a meter directly in front of the Damon House at 46 Bridge Street.  However, Bridge Street is a very busy street which is unsafe to exit on the driver’s side.  The passenger side is grass or snow, depending upon the season.

The Parsons House and Shepherd House are closed at this time.

Accessibility at the Shepherd Barn

The Shepherd Barn is open seasonally, generally late spring to late fall.  The building is accessible and contains two accessible bathrooms, but we will need to measure the doorways to provide more specific information.

The Parsons House will both be renovated prior to opening to the public at a later point in time.  Historic Northampton is in consultation with a professional architectural firm and a local museum accessibility expert for this project.

Website Accessibility

Effective Date: [Insert Date]

Historic Northampton, Inc. is committed to making our website accessible to as many people as possible, regardless of ability or technology.

We aim to follow widely accepted accessibility standards, including the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA.

Our Approach

We have taken steps to support accessibility on this website, including:

  • Using clear structure and headings to organize content
  • Providing alternative text for images where possible
  • Maintaining sufficient color contrast for readability
  • Supporting keyboard navigation
  • Using responsive design for different screen sizes and devices

Ongoing Effort

Accessibility is an ongoing process. Our website is maintained by staff and contributors who are not accessibility specialists, and content is updated regularly.

As a result, some areas of the site may not fully meet accessibility standards at all times. We are actively working to improve accessibility as we update content and refine our practices.

Known Limitations

Some accessibility challenges may include:

  • Older content that may not meet current accessibility standards
  • Inconsistent or incomplete alternative text for images
  • Embedded third-party content (such as videos or maps) that we do not control

Third-Party Content

Our website may include content provided by third parties, such as:

  • Video platforms (e.g., YouTube or Vimeo)
  • Mapping tools (e.g., Google Maps)
  • Event registration and donation services

We cannot guarantee the accessibility of third-party content, but we aim to use accessible options whenever possible.

Feedback and Assistance

We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of our website.

If you encounter a barrier or need assistance accessing any part of the site, please contact us:

Historic Northampton, Inc
46 Bridge Street
Northampton, MA 01060
Email: info@historicnorthampton.org

When reaching out, it helps if you can describe the issue and the page where you encountered it. We will do our best to provide the information you need in an accessible format.

Continuous Improvement

We are committed to improving accessibility over time and appreciate your patience and feedback as we continue this work.