Docent field guide · Mobile edition
Docent guide for wheelchair experience

Guide with purpose.

  • Read ‘Before Your Shift’ for important notes for hosting.
  • Show Workshop Video to participants before the activities.
  • Use the Activity Guide while guiding participants.
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Experience Takeaways

  • Experience various Temasek Shophouse spaces from a wheelchair and notice the barriers of independent movement.
  • Connect experience to the Inclusive Train Carriage design and build empathy & awareness.

Overall Flow

Starts when the participant gets into the wheelchair; ends when it is returned.

01
WelcomeExplain the route; remind them they may pause or skip.
02
AccompanyStay with the participant between activity stops.
03
CloseReturn the wheelchair, summarise the exhibition, and invite feedback.

Guiding Principles

Prioritise participant safety, comfort and choice.

✓
Safety firstStay close; follow the participant’s pace and venue procedures.
✓
Wheelchair mobilityKeep activities wheelchair-based; never ask participants to stand or transfer.
✓
Choice & dignityAsk before helping. Participants may pause or skip; toilet entry or use is optional.
●  Use throughout the session

Activity Guide

Suggested sequence · Open a stop for prompts
01Leave the WC ZoneLocation · Inclusive train carriage · wheelchair zoneWayfinding›
Wheelchair user turning to manoeuvre out of the designated space in an accessible train carriage
Turning to leave the wheelchair zone

Main objective

Practise orienting and manoeuvring to leave the wheelchair zone, including finding a route around people who may be standing.

Ask after the activity

  • How easy was it to orient yourself and identify a way out of the wheelchair zone?
  • What helped or made it harder to manoeuvre out?
  • If people were standing nearby, how did that affect the route you chose?
  • What could make leaving this space easier or safer for a wheelchair user?
Docent note: Keep the route clear and represent crowding safely. Do not ask participants to weave through people; let them pause or skip the activity.
02Notice Signs Low & HighLocation · TSH premises · confirm sign locationsVisibility›
Green exit sign mounted high above glass doors, viewed from a wheelchair
High-mounted exit sign above the doors
Wheelchair user looking toward floor-level text set into the floor
Low floor-level text signage

Main objective

Notice how signs placed high above eye level may be difficult to see or read from a wheelchair.

Ask after the activity

  • Which signs were easy or difficult to notice?
  • Could you read them clearly from your seated position?
  • Where could a sign be placed to make it easier to see?
Docent note: Invite the participant to look around from wheelchair height. Confirm which signs to observe with the venue team.
03Go up and down the Garden slopesLocation · Garden · confirm safe routeMovement›
Wheelchair user moving up a sloped garden path with handrails and planting on both sides
Moving up the Garden slope
Wheelchair user approaching the wooden deck at the end of a garden path
Approaching the Garden deck from the slope

Main objective

Compare the effort and control involved in moving up and down the Garden slopes from a wheelchair.

Ask after the activity

  • How did going up feel compared with going down?
  • Did you feel in control throughout the route?
  • What could make these slopes easier or safer to use?
Docent note: Stay alongside, follow the participant’s pace, and pause if needed. Remind them to stay cautious when going down the slope.
04Go up the entrance slopeLocation · TSH entranceMovement›
A participant in a wheelchair at the sloped entrance to Temasek Shophouse
Using the entrance slope at Temasek Shophouse

Main objective

Help participants notice the physical effort of using a slope and consider how repeated slopes on everyday routes cause fatigue over time.

Ask after the activity

  • How did your arms and body feel going up?
  • What might it be like to use slopes like this throughout a whole day?
  • What could make this route easier or less tiring?
Docent note: Stay alongside and prioritise safe pacing. Do not push the wheelchair unless the participant asks for help.
05Try the lobby push doorLocation · Lobby push swing doorIndependent access›
Wheelchair user reaching across to push open a curved glass swing door
Opening the lobby swing door from a wheelchair

Main objective

Experience how a push swing door can be difficult to approach and open independently from a wheelchair, reflecting infrastructure designed around able-bodied users.

Ask after the activity

  • What made the door difficult to open?
  • Could you position your wheelchair and reach the door comfortably?
  • What change might make this entrance more independent to use?
Docent note: Keep the doorway and route clear. Offer assistance if needed; stop if the door or surrounding space feels unsafe.
06Move around the calm roomLocation · Calm room · 1–2 roundsSpace & turning›
Wheelchair user in the calm room with two visitors beside a curved bench and wall projections
Sharing the calm room with other visitors

Main objective

Notice the difference between a room that feels calm and one that provides enough space for a wheelchair user to manoeuvre.

Ask after the activity

  • How easy was it to turn and move around?
  • Did the room feel spacious, tight, or both?
  • How could the layout feel calm and still allow easier movement?
Docent note: One or two rounds are optional. Keep furniture and exits clear; let the participant choose when to stop.
07Locate and use the accessible toiletLocation · Confirm route with venue teamFacilities›
Wheelchair user positioned beside the toilet and wall-mounted grab rail
Positioning beside the toilet and grab rail
Person holding the grab rails beside the toilet and wheelchair
Using the grab rails beside the toilet

Main objective

Consider the route to and use of an accessible toilet, including the strength, balance, space and body movement that some users may need.

Ask after the activity

  • Was the toilet easy to find and reach?
  • What parts of entering or using it might require strength or balance?
  • What would make the experience feel more accessible and private?
Docent note: Ask whether the participant wants to explore the full experience of using the toilet. If they choose to transfer, check what support they want, stay nearby, and follow their instructions. Do not lift or assist physically without consent.
08Optional · Order at Foreword CoffeeLocation · Foreword CoffeeOptional›
Wheelchair user pointing toward the digital ordering screen at Foreword Coffee
Choosing an order at Foreword Coffee

Main objective

Notice how a high menu can make it difficult for a wheelchair user to see choices and order independently.

Ask after the activity

  • Could you see the menu clearly from your seated position?
  • How did the setup affect ordering independently?
  • What alternative could help customers make their choice?
Docent note: This stop is optional. Confirm the café is open and accessible; a purchase is not required.
09Park the wheelchair back in the WC ZoneLocation · Inclusive train carriage · wheelchair zonePositioning›
Wheelchair user looking back while positioning the chair in an accessible train carriage
Turning to park the wheelchair back in the WC Zone

Main objective

Practise returning to and parking the wheelchair in the designated WC Zone, considering orientation, manoeuvring space, and keeping the route clear.

Ask after the activity

  • How easy was it to find and return to the wheelchair zone?
  • What helped you position the wheelchair in the space?
  • Did you have enough room to manoeuvre and park comfortably?
  • What would make this space easier or safer to use?
Docent note: Follow the venue team’s instructions for the wheelchair’s designated position. Keep the aisle and exits clear, and let the participant choose when they are ready to finish.

Close the session

Return the wheelchair to the exhibition space. Briefly connect the experience to the inclusive train carriage, then invite participants to share feedback and reflections.

Tap the QR code to enlarge it for scanning.

Workshop Tutorial

Before participants begin the activities, show them the workshop video.