Students Tour Lincoln Museum of American Speed

Visually impaired students explore automotive history through touch and sound at a local museum.

Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in Special Education

Gouache-painted illustration of hands touching the chrome curves of a vintage car, conveying tactile learning and automotive history. — Students from the Nebraska Center for the Education of Children who are Blind or Visually Impaired explored automotive heritage through tactile exhibits at Lincoln's Museum of American Speed this week. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Students from the Nebraska Center for the Education of Children who are Blind or Visually Impaired visited the Museum of American Speed. The group engaged with automotive history by touching various historic vehicles and components.

Why it matters

This tour offered students a unique opportunity to experience the world of cars beyond sight. By interacting with vehicles through touch, sound, and smell, participants gained a deeper understanding of automotive mechanics and heritage.

The tour featured a wide range of vehicles, including Land Speed racers, custom cars, NASCAR stock cars, a Baja Truck, Model T's, and Early Speedsters. Students were permitted to sit inside selected vehicles and even start an engine.

The players

Nebraska Center for the Education of Children who are Blind or Visually Impaired

This educational institution provides specialized resources and learning opportunities for students with visual impairments across the state.

Museum of American Speed

Located in Lincoln, this museum houses an extensive collection of historical racing and performance vehicles.

The details

Museum tour guides assisted students in exploring the facility, focusing on the history, purpose, and mechanics of the exhibits. By feeling vehicle components, students built a tactile connection to the collection.

October 27, 2026: Students visited the Museum of American Speed.

Culture Shift

This visit follows the pattern set by the Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility standards by ensuring students with visual impairments have hands-on access to history. It highlights a broader societal move toward creating inclusive, multisensory educational environments.

This event demonstrates how local cultural institutions are adapting exhibits to be more accessible for all community members. Families and educators can utilize these tactile learning techniques to foster greater engagement with history and science.

The takeaway

Tactile experiences can significantly enhance the educational value of museums for students who are blind or visually impaired. Implementing multisensory exhibits allows institutions to provide more equitable access to cultural history for every visitor.