Spy Museum to be accessible

Washington’s International Spy Museum has settled a federal civil rights investigation by agreeing to make its exhibits more accessible to hearing- and vision-impaired visitors.

The U.S. Justice Department said the settlement calls for the museum to add regularly scheduled tours that describe exhibits, special maps for the blind and captions for audio and interactive displays. Department and museum officials said the agreement, which carries no monetary penalty, may spur higher levels of access for the disabled at cultural institutions across the United States.

The museum worked for three years with the Justice Department’s civil rights division to resolve the matter, which will bring it into compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act. A visually impaired tourist’s complaint to the agency prompted the investigation, officials said.