Working with neurodiverse communities

Over recent years there have been more and more activity, resources and guidance produced for the heritage sector on how to be more inclusive for neurodiverse communities. While this is a positive step it is important that work is informed by first hand experience and acknowledges that neurodiversity is more than just autism. Although neurodivergence includes autism, it also encompasses attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), attention deficit disorder (ADD), dyslexia, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), dyspraxia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia and others.

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

Sporting Heritage sets up the Neurodiverse Museum

• The Neurodiverse Museum responds to a need to create a wide scale programme to support neurodivergent people to access museums, see themselves reflected through museum display and collecting.
• Blog post: What if we looked at neurodiversity and museums differently? written by Sporting Heritage Director and Neurodiverse Museum founder, Dr Justine Reilly.

Other examples of work in this area

Case studies and projects

• Museum of English Rural Life – Black Eyes and Lemonade project explains how the museum worked with Jessica Starns, a neurodivergent artist, as part of their ’51 Voices’ project to respond to items from or accessioned into the museum collections in 1951.
• Autism in Museums – Co-curated opportunities in museums for neurodivergent young adults, January 2022 is a blog post by Esther Amis-Hughes, Community Engagement Manager at Leeds Museums & Galleries, about her first experience of working with neurodivergent audiences.
• Leeds Museum & Galleries – Autistic experiences in museums is a companion piece to the above article by Sammy Jacques, one of the volunteers in the Leeds Museums & Galleries project, giving their perspective.

Guidance

• Universal Music – Creative Differences handbook is the result of a research project into the music and creative industries and how they can value neurodiversity.
• Frame work – A guide for welcoming museum visitors with autism spectrum disorder is created by the FRench American Museum Exchange and provides definitions, guidance on adapting spaces and programming activities for autistic audiences.
• SEND in Museums website brings together best practice, case studies and blogs about Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.
• Autism in Museums promotes and advocates for accessible culture for all.

Providing information for people with neurodiversity

To remove barriers for neurodiverse indivuals it is helpful to provide additional information in advance of them visiting your site. A number of organisations have worked with neurodiverse communities to create the following resources:

• National Paralympic Heritage Trust – Visual story and sensory maps
• The Post Office Museum created a new visual story with Ambitious about Autism that will help you plan your visit and understand the safety changes we have made.
• https://www.postalmuseum.org/visit-us/accessibility/information-for-autistic-people/
• Science Museum – Visual story and Sensory map
• Wellcome Collection – Visual story
• No.1 Royal Crescent – Social story, sensory maps and sensory bags

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