Guidelines on disability in the United Kingdom Chds Ne wbeny

Making milseums accessible to disabled people is an euer-growing concern. Several countries have taken concrete steps in this direction through policy and legislation, training and concerted efforts to increase professional awareness of the issues in- volved. One such example comes from the United Kingdom and is described by Chris Neuibeny, Deputy Director of the Museums and Galleries Commission, where he has been responsible for major reports on mil- seim professional traini?ig and local gou- ernment and museum development. H e is also in charge of the Commission’s stand- arcls deerielopmeizt programme.

Low-leuel displauvs enhance accessibilitv.

56

The 1992 Annual Conference of the United Kingdom Museums Association’ (MA) saw the launch of new guidelines for museums on disability issues. Compiled and issued by the Museums and Galleries Commis- sion ’ (MGC) with the formal endorsement of the MA, the Guidelines on Disabili& for Museurnsand Galleries in the UnitedKing- dom aim to help museums meet the needs of all their users (both actual and poten- tial), visitors and staff. Disabled people comprise over 10 per cent of the United Kingdom population, and the MGC takes the view that they should have the right to derive the same benefit from museums as other visitors.

Before describing the guidelines in detail, some information about their genesis may be helpful. In 1985 the Carnegie United Kingdom Trust published the report of the Committee of Enquiry into the Arts and Disabled People (the Attenborough Repot?). The report recommended that the ultimate target must be to enable and encourage disabled people to play the

fullest part in the artistic life of the commu- nity. The subsequent Carnegie Council Review (AfterAttenboroiigh: Arts and Dis- abled People, 1988) emphasized the need for all sectors - government, corporate, voluntary and public - to work towards this end. In order to stimulate activity in the museum field, the Carnegie United King- dom Trust offered the MGC a grant of 610,000 towards the employment of a disability adviser for museums. Although no additional money was forthcoming from the government, the MGC managed to find sufficient funds within its own budget to make an appointment on a two-year part- time basis, starting in March 1989. The contract was subsequently extended for a further year.

From the outset, the main task of the disability adviser was to prepare ‘best prac- tice’ guidelines for museums and galleries. This task could not be accomplished in a vacuum, however, and a considerable amount of ‘consciousness-raising’ and ad- vice about disability issues was urgently

ISSN 0027-3996, ilfusefiin Internntio>znl (UNESCO, Paris), No. 180 CVol. XLV, No. 4,1993) O UNESCO 1993

Published by Blackwell Publishers, 108 Cowley Road, Oxford, OX+ 1JF (UK) and 238 Main Streer. Cambridge, MA 02142 (USA).

Guidelines on disability in the United Kingdom

required. This is well illustrated by a survey of twenty-eight large museums undertaken in March 1990 which asked questions about policies concerning disabled people. There were seventeen replies. Of the nine muse- ums which said they had an officer with responsibility for advising on disability issues in relation to service users, seven were in personnel departments, had no relevant training and made no input into the presentation of collections. Four muse- ums had established a working party to look into the subject. As a result of this general lack of awareness about disability matters, the work of the disability adviser fell broadly into three categories:

Advice and information to museums, local authorities and individuals on all aspects of senrice provision, fund-rais- ing and liaison with local disability organizations.

Organizing and running training ses- sions, undertaking advisory visits to museums, writing articles and present- ing papers at conferences.

Liaison with agencies within the mu- seum profession and with arts, heritage and disability organizations in order to co-ordinate work, initiate joint action and disseminate information.

All this activity helped the disability adviser to formulate a first draft of the disability guidelines which was considered by Com- missioners in December 1990. After sub- stantial alteration they were then circulated to key museum and disability organiza- tions and central and local government for comment. All but one of the respondents welcomed the guidelines in principle, al- though concerns were expressed about their prescriptive tone and the cost implica- tions of implementing them. Noting these reservations, Commissioners suggested fur-

O UNESCO 1993

ther amendments at their meeting in July 1991 before finally adopting the guidelines.

The guidelines

There is insufficient space to reproduce the guidelines in full, but the following descrip- tion attempts to cover the main points. The guidelines begin with some notes about their terms of reference and objectives. For ex- ample, the guidelines use the social defini- tion of disabiiity - that society disables people by putting barriers in their way. These range from physical and communication barriers to those of attitude. It is pointed out that the guidelines provide a basis on which evely museum, in the light of its circumstances, can develop a policy on disability and decide the actions required to give effect to that policy. There is also a reference to the availability of a resource directory which provides information to help museums undertake work set out in the guidelines.

The first main section of the guidelines deals withpolicy crnclp~ocedzil-e. Key points are as follows:

1. The museum should prepare a written disability policy (based on the following guidelines) together with an action plan.

2. The disability policy and action plan should be endorsed by the museum’s governing body, and disabled people should have equal opportunities for appointment to that body.

3. Work in preparing, implementing and monitoring the disability policy and action plan should be co-ordinated by a designated senior member of staff, working (except in small museums) with a staff working party which is fully representative of all the museum’s func- tional areas.

57

Chris Newbery

4. There should be regular consultation with disabled people and disability organizations.

5. Information about the disability policy and the implementation of the action plan should be provided in the muse- um’s annual report or equivalent pub- lication.

The second section of the guidelines con- cerns employment and training. It is sug- gested that the staff involved in preparing the disability policy and action plan should receive some initial training about disabil- ity. But beyond that it is recommended that allstaff andmembers of the governing body should receive training and refresher train- ing to ensure that they are aware of their responsibilities in fulfilling the policy. The importance of training for ‘front of house’ staff is particularly stressed. The guidelines also draw attention to the importance of disability equality training for those in- volved in all stages of recruitment, job appraisals and careers development. This is linked to the need for the museum to establish written procedures to ensure that there are equal oppominities for the em- ployment of disabled people.

The third section of the guidelines refers to collectio~andprem~es. It is recommended that ways should be sought to enable disabled people to achieve intellectual, physical and sensory access to the collec- tions as well as shop, lecture room, cafete- ria and toilets. For collections, this can be achieved by means of an alternative or supplementary method of presentation. But it is pointed out that segregated provi- sion should be avoided except where disabled people prefer it. The guidelines also suggest that the museum should seek to provide e+al opportunities for disabled people to mount exhibitions and hold events on museum premises.

The fourth section concerns iizfomntion. It recommends that all publicity, informa- tion and advertisements should, wher- ever feasible, give details of addresses, opening times, travel and parking ar- rangements, charges, precise information to help with different types of disability, and a telephone number for specific in- quiries. At the entrance to the museum and at inquiry points it is suggested that there should be a check-list of informa- tion available for staff, setting out the facts on physical access, equipment and provision for disabled people. This should be backed up by adequate signs in and around the museum.

The fifth section deals with lirzB with the community. Museums are urged to develop links with other agencies in the community such as arts, leisure, education, social serv- ices, health, transport and disability organi- zations in order to promote initiatives that will benefit disabled people. It is also sug- gested that community outreach pro- grammes should be devised to introduce disabled people and their companions to the museum, its collections and facilities.

The final section of the guidelines refers to responding to policy changes. The impor- tant point is made that legislative changes, especially in areas of building design and use, social services and special educational needs, should be monitored for their impli- cations for museum services.

It is obviously important that everyone in the museum community should be aware of the guidelines, so in addition to being printed in the Museums Associa- tion’s Yearbook, they are being mailed free of charge to all museums in the United Kingdom. Copies are also being sent to disability organizations, local authority as- sociations and relevant departments of central government.

@ UNESCO 1993 58

Guidelines on disability in the United Kingdom

I have already mentioned the existence of resource material to help museums devise disability policies and action plans. The directory is in a loose-leaf format and contains valuable information about such matters as legislation, codes of practice, types of disability, employment, training, promotion of the museum service, trans- port, building design and sources of funds for disability projects. It also includes examples of good practice in museums, a bibliography and addresses of useful organizations.

Implementation strategy

W e are anxious that our disability in- itiative should be seen in a wider con- text. Some recent MGC publications ex- emplify our approach. In our publication, Forward Plnwriing- A Handbook of Busi- ness, Coqomte and Development Plan- ning for Musezims and Galleries (19911, there is a chapter on provision for dis- abled people written by the MGC Dis- ability Adviser. The MGC’s Guidelines for a Registration Schenie forMuseunis in the United Kingdoin (1989) make reference to access facilities for disabled people in the public services section of the docu- ment. Participation in the registration scheme is voluntary, but museums are not eligible for MGC-derived grants if

O UNESCO 1993

they are not registered. When the regis- tration guidelines are updated in 1993/94 w e will be making specific reference to the MGC’s new disability guidelines. The MGC has also been publishing standards in the care of different types of collection. Standards in the Care of A?’cbaeoiogical Collections (19921, for example, contains a section about standards for access which states that ‘inquirers with impaired mobil- ity, sight or hearing, must have, as far as possible, as ready access as any other inquirers’ .3

The MGC operates a number of grant schemes which are geared to raising stand- ards in museums through the support of ‘one-off projects. Wherever appropriate, the criteria for the grant schemes include a reference to disability issues. The Capital Grants Scheme, for example (which is principally aimed at supporting projects which provide proper environmentally controlled housing for collections), insists that ‘applicants should demonstrate that, where practicable, the needs of disabled people, both as visitors and employees, have been taken into account’. The notes for applicants make reference to both the MGC’s disability guidelines and the Disability Resource Directory.

The MGC works very closely with the ten Area Museum Councils (AMCs) which

Ramp from exhibition galleiy education space.

to

59

Chris Newbeny

cover the United Kingdom. The AMCs are essentially museum ‘co-operatives’ which provide advice, services and grant-aid to their members. They all receive funds from the government, the seven English AMCs through the MGC. Their principal assistance to the MGC disability initiative so far has been in the field of in-service training. Most of them have offered one- day training courses for museum staff which aim to raise consciousness about disability issues; the South-West England AMC course entitled ‘Removing Barriers: Enhancing Accessibility’ is a good exam- ple. Some ANICs provide touring exhi- bitions and the needs of people with disabilities are increasingly being taken into account. The West Midlands AMC, for example, is planning an exhibition which will provide enjoyment and access to information for people who are blind or have a visual impairment. With the publication of the MGC disability guidelines we trust that the AMCs will take an even more proactive stance on disability issues.

There are many other organizations which can help the MGC in implementing the guidelines, such as the Museums and Gal- leries Disabilities Association and the Mu- seums Association Equal Opportunities Committee. I have mentioned these two bodies in particular because they are in a good position to lobby the government for additional resources to make our initiative

I l

1 ~

as successful as possible.

Notes

1. The Museums Association is the professional body for museums and galleries.

2. The Museums and Galleries Commission is the officiai adviser to the United Kingdom Government on museums and galleries. It also has executive functions, including the operation of grant programmes. Address: 16 Queen Anne’s Gate, London SW1H 9AA

3. See also: Fondation de FranceACOM, &fuseurn Without Bnm’ers, LondodNew York, Routledge, 3991, 214 pp., illus. -Ed.

60 Q UNESCO 1393