Working with disabled people and disability heritage

For a range of reasons the heritage of disability sport and sports people has been under-represented in the collections of sporting, heritage and research organisations. This has contributed to the perpetuation of negative stereotypes, untruths about visible and hidden disabilities as well as the minimisation of the role disabled people have played in our heritage. Over recent years organisations and individuals across these sectors have worked to overcome the political, cultural and social barriers to discover and preserve disability heritage and so address this gap in the heritage record.

In this section you will find links to a selection of exhibitions and projects created by, and from working with people with disabilities, as well as guidance and best practice to inform future work.

Sporting Heritage’s Disability & Women’s Sport project

Between 2020-2021 Sporting Heritage, funded by Sport England, worked to document, understand and share stories related to the heritage of disability sport. To find out more about the project and the resources created explore the links below:

• Sporting Heritage Disability and Women’s Sport project
• Podcast – Introducing the Disability and Women’s Sport project
• Podcast – Introducing Boccia, the world’s fastest growing disability sport
• Podcast – Preserving the heritage of Goalball

Other examples of work in this area

Case studies & projects

• Horniman Museum & Gardens – Access advisory group: Always part of the story case study outlines how the museum works with their Access advisory group to re-interpret the collections to remove negative representations of disability and much more.
• University of Oxford – Gardens, Libraries & Museums – Special projects: case studies describes how the museum has worked with a range of groups including those with learning disabilities and sight loss.

Exhibitions

• People’s History Museum- Nothing about us without us is a landmark exhibition exploring the history of disabled people’s activism and ongoing fight for rights and inclusion. It was co-created with 4 community curators who all identified as disabled.
• People’s History Museum – Nothing about us without us blog
• History of Place – Accessible Exhibitions for All: A Guide to Co-Designing Exhibitions with Disabled People is a toolkit including guidance and case studies for co-designing exhibition content with disabled people.
• National Paralympic Heritage Trust safeguard and display the most important collection of disability heritage for the Paralympic Games movement.

Guidance

• Curating for Change – Disabled people leading in museums report is the result of a National Lottery Heritage Fund project which aimed to change the way D/deaf, disabled and
  neurodivergent people are represented within our museums. It links the need for diversity in museum staff with the visibility and interpretation of D/deaf, disabled and
  neurodivergent related collections.
• National Lottery Heritage Fund – Investing in disability heritage: case studies outline how Heritage Fund grants can support projects relating to disability heritage.

Disabled people are far more likely to be digitally excluded, face barriers to communication, and feel more socially isolated. Even before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, disabled people and people with long-term health conditions were more likely to experience poor mental health and wellbeing. We know that this is something that heritage projects can help to address.

Ewan Bachell, the Heritage Fund project manager

• Kids in Museums – Welcoming special needs families recommendations and resources gives top tips for how you can make your organisation more accessible and welcoming to special needs families.
• Vocal Eyes – Accessibility resources for museums, galleries and heritage sites includes a comprehensive list of links to guidance on making our work more accessible and inclusive.
• Research Centre for Museums & Galleries & the National Trust – Everywhere & Nowhere: Guidance for ethically researching and interpreting disability histories is the result of the collaborative project which explores little known and previously untold histories of disability from across the Trust’s sites and collections.

Examples of resources to support disabled access

• The People’s History Museum – Nothing about us without us resources (scroll to the bottom of the page)
• Imperial War Museum – Duxford Battle of Britain displays

If you know of other examples of work that you would like to see added to this page please contact us on toolkit@sportingheritage.org.uk