Given that the reading age for adult museum-goers is twelve, and that
children have as much ability to understand well-expressed concepts in
simple language as anyone else, writing labels for your actual audience
rather than as an academic exercise, and explaining the occasional
technicality or odd word, will allow you to communicate with almost
everyone.  It's also important, in a multicultural community, not to make
assumptions about commonly-held ideas, myths, mores and behavioural
patterns.  This is a lot more difficult than you might think!  Translating
out of professional jargon is not that easy, either.

That aside, there may be occasions when you know you will have a very young
audience - KIDS interactives, a circus exhibition - where large print, very
simple statements would be helpful, and give a nice caring, sharing tone to
the exhibition.  But these are very much an exception.  Generally if they're
old enough to read, they're old enough not to be patronised.

Heleanor Feltham
Powerhouse Museum
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