2. Key actions for organisations

We know that disabled people are still excluded from museums and galleries, because of inaccessibility, persistent ableism, and lack of knowledge, confidence and experience in making things accessible. We know that we need to make impactful change. But how do we know what change to make?

We’d like to suggest a few top tips. We will then focus on the practical implementation of two areas.

• Embrace diversity at the gatekeeping level
• Make a commitment to examining how your work may be perpetuating exclusion – accepting that this is not your fault
• Embrace a cultural shift to proactively addressing accessibility by removing barriers
• Find ways to involve disabled people in decision-making, planning, management and evaluation
• Develop an Action Plan and have dedicated staff or staff remits and budgets attached
• Identify the in-house information, training and capacity-building you need to continue the work
• Integrate work by disabled artists and curators in programming and making it more visible
• Integrate accessibility in the design and presentation of exhibitions and events
• Where you do not know, find people to ask such as specialist organisations

One of the most important demands of the Disability Rights Movement is “nothing about us without us”. There cannot be impactful change without meaningful, funded, valued, and ongoing disabled leadership. Furthermore, human rights legislation such the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities states that states, and state-funded organisations must closely consult with and actively involve disabled people and their representative organisations in the decision-making processes concerning issues relating to disabled people^[1].

From our list of top tips above we think that the following four points link into this key theme of making impactful change.

These are:

• Employ disabled people and embrace diversity at the gatekeeping level
• Involve disabled people in decision-making, management and evaluation
• Integrate work by disabled artists and curators in programming and making it more visible
• The role of specialised and facilitating organisations

Employ disabled people and embrace diversity at the gatekeeping level

Arts Council England’s most recent Equality, Diversity and Inclusion review found that 9% of the workforce identified as disabled in 2022/23. This compares with 22% of the working age population according to the ONS.^[2] Disabled people are not in cultural sector jobs or there are no accessible career paths or educational or training routes. All aspects and areas of your work need to incorporate disabled leadership. You should also be explicit about the importance of this to your organisation e.g. in job adverts and policy documents.

It should never be the expectation that disabled staff members must do the work of educating others: that is the responsibility of all staff. But, evidence shows that having disabled staff members can raise awareness of specific issues and open up internal conversations, leading to more inclusive practices.

‘Gatekeepers’, including curators, producers, and programmers, have a key role in enabling accessibility and inclusion. More attention should be paid to their practices, as well as to ensuring that gatekeepers become more diverse internally, ultimately more resembling the population . It matters that disabled people are not just represented in your staff, but also that they are represented at senior levels so that power structures change.

Involve disabled people in decision-making, management and evaluation

Disabled people are not consistently in positions of leadership or decision making – they are not at the table.

In line with the ‘nothing about us without us’ principle, it is essential to engage and consult with disabled people in the design and implementation of programmes and projects that aim to address them or foster their attendance. Disabled people are experts by experience and being open about their meaningful involvement means other disabled people are more likely to trust that you will make things accessible.

To be sustainable there needs to be a clear, achievable Action Plan with outcomes that can be measured e.g. evaluation of Front of House access provision pre- and post-access specific training.

The role of specialised and facilitating organisations

Although in the long term all venues and events should be inclusive and provide accessibility to disabled audiences, curators/artists, and staff, organisations specialising in accessibility and in working with disabled people are important facilitators as partners of mainstream venues.

Establishing partnerships between mainstream venues and cultural organisations is a central area of work for organisations advancing work on arts and disability.

In the case of exhibition venues and organisations, mutual knowledge and networking between companies involving disabled artists and curators and those comprising non-disabled artists and curators can be a positive step towards the understanding disabled workers needs, more visibility of disabled workers, and potential collaboration opportunities.

Integrate work by disabled artists, curators and producers in programming and make it more visible

There is a persistent lack of cultural presence for disabled people. Integrating work by disabled artists and curators into UK exhibition programming is essential to addressing the ongoing lack of cultural presence for disabled people. Although the sector has made strides toward inclusivity, disabled practitioners remain underrepresented in both creative and decision-making roles. Actively commissioning disabled artists, collaborating with disabled curators, and embedding accessibility into the curatorial process – not as an add-on but as a core value – helps shift this imbalance. By making disabled-led work more visible across galleries, museums, and public programmes, the exhibitions sector can challenge entrenched barriers, broaden its audiences, and better reflect the full spectrum of cultural experience in the UK.

^[1] https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-rights-persons-disabilities

^[2] https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/research-and-data/diversity-data/equality-diversity-and-inclusion-review-2018-23

Environments and practices are not consistently accessible. There are often pockets of good practice where there are passionate individuals or ‘special’ projects funded on a one-off basis so accessibility remains fragmented. This is in spite of ‘top down’ efforts to embed access through legislation, funding requirements, and awareness raising campaigns. Ultimately access does not happen if it is not built into every area of work in a sustainable way.

In-house information, training and capacity-building

British Council’s ‘Time to Act’ also found that “an extensive literature of reports, checklists, and toolkits is already available to guide cultural professionals in providing greater access – but these are not widely circulated”^[1]. So there is a need to showcase resources and share best practice as regularly as possible. Peer learning and communities of practice can help to not only share knowledge but build confidence and connections.

Have dedicated staff and budgets

Generally the organisations that have staff responsible for accessibility, or that have a dedicated budget tend to be more confident than the average respondents that their artistic programmes are accessible to disabled artists. A similar pattern emerged when asking about engagement with disabled audiences.

Furthermore, evidence shows that organisations that have either specific staff with a mandate for disabled access and/or dedicated budget lines to foster accessibility and inclusion are better placed to make progress. Organisations of any size can begin by allocating a specific percentage of their budget e.g. 5%, to cover access-specific costs. You also do not need a specific staff member who is only in charge of access if this is outside your budget. You can designate this responsibility to an existing staff member, or one per department, or to a cross-departmental working group. Alternatively fostering training and capacity-building of existing staff can also be effective. To make impactful change, there must be dedicated resource that is mobilised.  Budgets, staff, and training must be implemented: action must be taken.

Integrate accessibility in the design and presentation of exhibitions and events

Integrating accessibility into the design and presentation of exhibitions and events is vital for creating a genuinely inclusive exhibitions sector. Too often, accessibility is treated as an optional enhancement rather than a foundational element of exhibition-making. By embedding inclusive design from the earliest planning stages e.g. considering physical access, sensory needs, alternative formats, wayfinding, and digital accessibility, organisations can remove barriers that have long excluded disabled audiences. This approach not only improves the experience for disabled visitors but enriches engagement for everyone, ensuring that exhibitions and events communicate their ideas clearly, equitably, and with respect.

^[1] https://www.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/time_to_act_full_report.pdf p5.

How could you incorporate disabled leadership in your context?

How can you make sustainable changes?