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On 9th March we held a symposium at the Museum of Liverpool about disability and museums: topics ranged from representing disabled people in the museum workforce, to the exhibitions that get shown, to the power of disabled people to represent themselves in those exhibitions (rather than being ‘talked about’ by third parties). Then there’s the issue of access: whether that’s being able to find out about provision on a museum’s website, or thinking properly about access when creating a shiny new museum extension.
The Rethinking Disability Symposium
There was a packed audience, and speakers who had done much of the groundwork for better representation of disabled people. Steph Niciu has written up the day for Disabled Arts Online. Here are some of the tweeted comments summarising the day:
i went along to the #Rethinkdisability conference last week and was happy to read this piece by Steph Niciu on @disabilityarts about her reflections on the day too https://t.co/LznPfVjZtu pic.twitter.com/rc3CEcpxis
— Jennifer Gilbert (@J_L_Gallery) March 17, 2018
Action shot from today’s #rethinkdisability symposium and our Artistic Director Ruth Gould @ruffyarts giving a powerful speech about challenging the “norm” #disabilityarts pic.twitter.com/afAVPLPop7
— DaDaFest (@DaDaFest) March 9, 2018
. @ruffyarts says attitudes have changed over 15years (often through her work and @DaDaFest ). Says fears because of austerity, things are ‘starting to diminish’. Many stopped talking + consulting w disabled people cos £; people don’t want to spend on access. #rethinkdisability
— History of Place (@H_O_P) March 9, 2018
What a great day @MuseumLiverpool for the talks on #rethinkdisability. Excited to get back to @Vivacity_Museum and see what we can do better pic.twitter.com/5r2TqRFy29
— Rachel Walmsley (@Rachel_Walmsley) March 9, 2018
Creating inclusive museum experiences is not just about access: ‘Once I have access, what am I going to see? Where’s my history?Where’s my story? #rethinkdisability
— Chloe Trainor (@ChloeTrainor1) March 9, 2018
Karen Macdonld – good practice about access is constantly evolving – we thought we were doing things reasonably well, but learned new things from installing the HOP exhibition. #rethinkdisability
— History of Place (@H_O_P) March 9, 2018
Ah, and now we’re mentioning the giant and mysterious silver cushion we put in @V_and_A (“children love it and go and jump on it” – other people grab a bit of peace and quiet) #rethinkdisability https://t.co/fFJRwMLfGz
— History of Place (@H_O_P) March 9, 2018
But @AppleyardFox points out that if there are no disabled ppl in a museum workforce, then you’re stuck at the point of “involving disabled people” > need people on the inside as well as outside. #rethinkdisability
— History of Place (@H_O_P) March 9, 2018
Barry Ginley talking about the process of getting the @H_O_P display at the @V_and_A > ‘very credible’ end result – sometimes it’s helpful to have someone coming in from outside (& offering resources) to get things off the ground. #rethinkdisability pic.twitter.com/Fblq5tF8HW
— History of Place (@H_O_P) March 9, 2018
. @celkingston So often gadgets for disabled people are not made with aesthetics in mind – + are made by different manufacturers, sold in separate shops: but actually everyone has gadgets than enable their lives, why the difference? #rethinkdisability
— History of Place (@H_O_P) March 9, 2018
Barry Ginley: Often access doesn’t need money, it needs someone [in the museum] who knows how to ask if they can assist. #rethinkdisability
— History of Place (@H_O_P) March 9, 2018
This one got a lot of cheering and clapping from the audience, from the V&A’s Disability and Access Officer:
We’re back after ☕. Panel now discussing how can museums be encouraged to take risk? Barry Ginley (from @V_and_A ) says word should be not ‘risk’ but ‘ambition’ – is it really scary to put on exhibition about disabled ppl + their lives? #rethinkdisability
— History of Place (@H_O_P) March 9, 2018
#rethinkdisability great definition of what access means from a visitor @VocalEyesAD @mshedbristol pic.twitter.com/dIerAKaxAo
— Sharon Heal (@Sharonheal) March 9, 2018
@VocalEyesAD discussing the importance of #access info on museum websites: ‘The museum website is the initial barrier or gateway to access.’ Clearly this museum didn’t get the message. #rethinkdisability pic.twitter.com/gNfW3ksefO
— Chloe Trainor (@ChloeTrainor1) March 9, 2018
More from Anna on the state of museum access below #rethinkdisability (Now saying only 16% of museums provide large print > cheap, easy, useful). 7% Braille, 9% offer audio descriptive tours. Latter is the key tool for VI ppl going to museums. https://t.co/W0qRJbjDFg
— History of Place (@H_O_P) March 9, 2018
Interesting to hear Anna Fineman from @VocalEyesAD speak about how access starts online. I know myself and @attitudetweets would agree! Great to hear this being spoken about in the context of museums #rethinkdisability
— Katie Ann Smith (@KatieSmith138) March 9, 2018
Would love to be able to participate in the discussion at #rethinkdisability today in person, but this is probably the best I can do from afar right now: a piece I wrote a while ago for the @DisHistBlog on “Doing Public #DisabilityHistory“.https://t.co/lL7Rbbb3Xf
— Daniel Blackie (@daniel_blackie) March 9, 2018
Integration of shared access and space for all is a key element of architectural design… Jocelyn Dodd is correct in saying design is about solutions not just aesthetics- a particular problem for new build and retrofitted spaces alike #rethinkdisability @NML_Muse @H_O_P
— Eleanor McGrath (@ElleMcGrath) March 9, 2018
. @museumDCN People who try to effect change get blocked by senior management – how do you get round that? #rethinkdisability @SharonHeal says that forming groups (women, BAME etc) gives you traction. Make change outside, then bring it back in.
— History of Place (@H_O_P) March 9, 2018
‘If we need to make change, we need to be changing the governance of organizations – join a Board and become a Trustee’ @Sharonheal – amen!! 🙌 #rethinkdisability
— Katie Ann Smith (@KatieSmith138) March 9, 2018
Interesting to hear @Sharonheal talk about how challenges of diversity in the workforce start before people even enter the workforce – I would argue it starts in childhood. What could museums be doing through engagement & learning to change this? #rethinkdisability
— Katie Ann Smith (@KatieSmith138) March 9, 2018
At #rethinkdisability in @MuseumLiverpool @Sharonheal says that we often hear the economic case for diversity & inclusion but not often the #HumanRights case for it
— Clara Paillard (@clarapa) March 9, 2018
For folks following @H_O_P‘s #rethinkdisability event via Twitter, you might want to have a look at this short video to get a sense of what @mat_fraser & colleagues’ ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’ was like.https://t.co/ECDpEJwlLR
— Daniel Blackie (@daniel_blackie) March 9, 2018
Jocelyn: Some good work happening in museums @StFagans_Museum @BrightonMuseums @IWM_Centenary Museums more confident about discussing it, but things still missed > lack of integrated design in capital developments. #rethinkdisability
— History of Place (@H_O_P) March 9, 2018
Delighted to be @MuseumLiverpool for #rethinkdisability . So interesting and a real sense of willingness to create change
— Our_Objects (@our_objects) March 9, 2018