The National Museum of Computing has been offering Relaxed Openings for over 3 years. They were set up by my predecessor Claire Marston so I cannot claim the full credit. We run 6 relaxed openings a year. We either open at time when we are usually closed or quieter. We welcome families with autistic members. We pull in additional volunteers to be on hand …
Careers for All – Leeds Museums and Galleries by Carl Newbould, Dec 2020
When phone rang and I was offered a job at Leeds Museums and Galleries (LMG) to manage Careers for All I remember being stunned and silent. I was both incredibly excited but also apprehensive about entering a role so specific to SEND. I have a specialism in AEN (additional educational needs) which I picked up from my teaching degree at …
Autistic Adults in Museums, MA dissertation by Elizabeth Blake, Dec 2020
In September of 2020 I handed in what, in hindsight, seems like an inevitable piece of work. It was my dissertation for an MA in Art Gallery and Museum Studies at the University of Manchester, examining what the adult autistic community required from museums in order to make them more accessible. I essentially grew up in and around heritage sites …
Putting the community first at the London Museum of Water & Steam, Nov 2020
At the London Museum of Water & Steam we have four values which we try to live out in everything we do. Helpful, Knowledgeable, Inclusive and Fun. But how do you live those values in the middle of a global pandemic which has closed your Museum? For us it started with asking the question “who needs our help?” and the …
What do SEND families want from museums in a time of COVID?
Kids in Museums, Autism in Museums and Sam Bowen carried out a survey specifically for SEND (Special Education Needs and Disabilities) families all about their visits to museums pre and post lockdown. Interrogating the data Autism in Museums has come up with ideas to support accessibility and inclusion that all museums, galleries and heritage venues should be thinking about in …
Inviting sensory learners to explore Museums in a time of Covid, National Maritime Museum, Sept 2020.
At the National Maritime Museum, we recognise that the design of some older galleries does not lend them to sensory engagement and so a concerted effort to provide sensory engagement within new galleries and to develop resources that bring sensory engagement to galleries have occurred. From opportunities to touch tactile collection objects in the new Sea Things gallery, to the …
Intersecting Art and Science to Support Autistic Children – National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. Aug 2020.
Andrea Stahel, Community & Access Programs Manager, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. As many of us appreciate, art-making can be incredibly meditative and in difficult times, a source of solace. This year has brought new challenges for children as they adapt to changes in their education, family and social lives. Children can often find disruptions to their daily routine challenging, …
News News News!
Two exciting pieces of news for Autism in Museums followers! 1 – Autism in Museums needs your help – Autism in Museums has been working with Kids in Museums and Samantha Bowen an access consultant on a survey for families with children who have additional needs. We want to understand more about the barriers and what your concerns are about …
Engaging families with autistic children in outdoor museum spaces, Natural History Museum, June 2020
By Laura Davison and Marie Hobson, Audience Research and Insight Team, Natural History Museum, London, U.K. audienceresearch@nhm.ac.uk The Natural History Museum has embarked on an ambitious project to re-connect people and nature, known as the Urban Nature Project (UNP), through transforming our outdoor spaces and developing a national programme of activity. To ensure that our redeveloped Gardens and associated family …
Museum and Heritage Access Survey 2020
VocalEyes together with Stagetext and Autism in Museums are researching the museum visitor experience for people who use access support – this may be facilities, resources or events. We are undertaking a national survey of visitors which is the first of its kind. It will reveal what people with access requirements need from our museums and heritages sites, and how well …