A flight of 13 steps leads from the lobby to the exhibition level. All floors of the museum, except the lobby on the National Mall side, and all exhibition areas are accessible by elevator. An accessible exhibition gallery connects the building to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, also a Smithsonian Institution museum of Asian art. All videos shown in the galleries are open-captioned. An assistive listening system is available in the gallery's Meyer Auditorium.
Headsets are available on request.
All restrooms are moderately accessible. Banks of public telephones and water fountains are at accessible heights. For group tours and tours for visitors with low vision, call four weeks in advance. Large-print labels are provided in many exhibitions. Alternative formats of publications, including audiocassette, Braille, large print and computer disk, as well as label text for selected exhibitions, are available at the information desk and at the Independence Avenue entrance.