Museums in the Bradford district have become more accessible for wheelchair-bound, deaf and visually-impaired visitors with the launch of a virtual tour and guide.

Four of Bradford Council's museums are offering the new service on their ground floor allowing access to galleries and exhibits at the click of a computer mouse.

The tour is down to work by staff in the Disability Discrimination Act task team and has cost £60,000 in total including the equipment. The budget is designated to giving fuller access to Council services and buildings.

To take a virtual tour, a computer kiosk with adjustable table and chair has been installed at four of the district's museums which are otherwise not fully accessible - Bolling Hall, Bradford Industrial Museum, the Manor House in Ilkley and Cliffe Castle in Keighley.

The information is provided in three formats: audio, text and British Sign Language and Bradford Council is one of the forerunners in providing information in this way.

The tour starts with a view of one of the galleries, and the user can "move" to another room by clicking on a thumbnail image on the screen. In each virtual room there are a number of exhibits which can be clicked to open up for further information.

They are not needed at Cartwright Hall and the Bradford 1 Gallery in Centenary Square because these galleries are fully accessible by lift.

Large screens at Cliffe Castle, Bolling Hall and Bradford Industrial Museum will also display the information so that large groups, such as those on school trips, can see it together.

Deputy Council leader, Councillor Dale Smith, said: "We are committed to making our buildings as accessible as possible and this is a fantastic way of opening up our museums for everyone to enjoy. We have so many great exhibitions at our museums and this allows even more residents and visitors to enjoy them.

"The virtual tour means that families or groups of people can all share the experience of the museum together and I am so pleased to be attending the launch to see what an impact the tour will have."

Access to the ground floor areas of the museums has also been improved along with new toilet facilities and external parking bays.