Speaker: Sam Bowen, SEND in Museums campaigner

“Children with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) account for 9% of the UK child population, include their non-disabled siblings and friends and the numbers affected by poor access and inclusion reaches towards 20% of the children in the UK. Museums have seen dramatic changes in audience development in recent years and yet SEND visitors remain unseen and uncatered for in most museums, why is that? Who do we think museums are for and who are we excluding by having narrow views of what ‘learning’ looks like or what qualifies as meaningful engagement?

What are museum’s contemporary roles as public institutions and how do they align these with fair and equal access to those benefits? Museums and heritage sites can share their magic with everyone to enjoy in their own way and support positive memory making and wellbeing. SEND audiences themselves can (and do!) teach museums different ways of experiencing and being.

It’s vital therefore for museums and visitor attractions to start welcoming SEND visitors and providing accessible facilities, activities and resources as well as well trained ‘disability confident’ staff.

Hear from Sam Bowen, a SEND in Museums campaigner, experienced museum and heritage professional and SEND mum. She will share her own lived experience with you, inspire and motivate you to learn new ways of engaging with and thinking about this audience with practical tips on how to get started.