Making Museums Accessible for Neurodivergent People

Date: 23rd October

Time: 9:30am – 2pm

Organiser: Museums and Heritage Highland

Venue: Inverness Museums and Art Gallery, Castle Wynd, Inverness, IV2 3EB

Cost: Free

This workshop will be delivered by Aimee Fletcher, a current PhD Researcher at the University of Glasgow researching ways to make the museum and cultural heritage sector more accessible to people with autism and neurodivergent people.

The workshop will be divided into 3 sessions:

1. Welcome and introduction to neurodiversity – getting to grips with current knowledge and understanding (terminology, history, how it fits into the wider disability movement how it has shifted recently with increased understanding).
2. Neurodiversity in everyday life – highlighting the diversity of experiences and needs, exploring common needs/barriers, how this can impact visiting museums – thinking about what the barriers in the workplace are for ND visitors and colleagues, what could help.
3. Sensory audit – this is a practical session to apply what has been learned during the first two parts – we will move around the museum space with a prompt sheet to discuss and record what you notice in the space, how you think it would impact a visitor, and what might help.

Agenda:

9.45am – arrive and coffee/tea and shortbread
10am – session 1 – Welcome and introduction to neurodiversity
11am – Break, more coffee if needed
11.15 am – session 2 – Neurodiversity in everyday life
12.15pm – lunch (participants to bring a packed lunch or 10% discount for attendees in IMAG cafe)
1pm – Sensory audit in museum space
2pm ENDS