Emancipatory Disability Research – Implications for

Museum Practice

Dr Heather Hollins

Associate Tutor

School of Museum Studies

But First:

• A short confession…

• And principles are important…

Aims of Session• Explore principles involved in

emancipatory disability research • Explore case study of The Holocaust

Centre and the Pioneers group• Explore implications for museum

practice

Emancipatory Disability Research

• In 1980s - emerging field of disability studies started to critically analyse the way that research was undertaken with disabled people

• Paul Hunt, Colin Barnes and Mike Oliver and argued that the process of research had, historically, excluded disabled people

• Hunt described the experience of being a `victim of research’

Emancipatory Research

• Argued that researcher is in control of the agenda and outcomes

• Treated disabled people as ‘research subjects’

• At the centre of this type of research is a power inequality

Emancipatory Research

• Emancipatory research aims to remove disabling barriers from the research process

• Not a new set of research methods

• Creates a set of underlying principles that shape the way that the research is planned, implemented, analysed and disseminated

• Place disabled people’s voices as the centre of the process

Emancipatory Principles1. Research should be used as a tool for

empowering and improving the lives of disabled people

2. Greater opportunities for disabled people to be researchers or involved in the research

3. Research should challenge notions of who hold the expertise on disability-related issues

4. A non-hierarchical reciprocal relationship5. Researchers should be accountable to disabled

people6. Disabled people should be in control of the

research agenda

The Holocaust Centre

Memorial Rose Gardens

Memorial Sculptures

The Holocaust Exhibition

Education Programme

Access Issues

Images and Labels

Light and Shadow

Physical Access

New Exhibition – The Journey

Holocaust Centre• Split between core values and operational

practices• Disabled people had a difficult and separate

experience on-site• I was regularly treated as the ‘Access Police’• Employed me to tell them about ramp gradients• My role focused on new exhibition – not a holistic

vision for disabled people’s experiences on-site

Pioneers Group

• It all started with a letter of complaint…

Pioneers Group

• Young people’s group: 20 disabled young people aged 13 – 21 years old

• Out of school group – supports with the transition to adulthood

• 7 of the group decided to get involved in the research project

• 4 disabled youth workers supporting• Aim to support young people to challenge

service providers to improve access

Pioneers Group

• Met with them every 3 weeks – initially at their base

• 8 month process of them getting to know the options, museums, understand issues related to the Holocaust, museum access issues

• Discussed what they wanted to focus on and get out of the project

Pioneers Group• The process was not without it’s challenges…• 4 sessions in only 2 young people turned up for the

session• There was a turn-over of young people (15 in total 8

core members)• One of the young people was selectively mute• They had a range of impairments • They didn’t always get on as a group• They didn’t know how to gauge me at start of

process – as I didn’t impose anything on them or act like an authority figure

Pioneers Group

• In first 8 months – supported them to make informed decisions

• They were in charge of agenda• Supported them to develop advocacy

skills so they could advocate for change• Gained momentum once they started

deciding on what they wanted to acheive

Decisions

• Support access changes to site and new exhibition

• Create a sculpture for the gardens as a memorial to the disabled people who were killed during the Holocaust

But…

• The Holocaust Centre initially weren’t ready to listen to the Pioneers

Twin Track Process

• Access auditing• Developing access guidelines with staff –

marketing materials, signage etc. • Walking staff round site• Presentations to senior management• Part of working groups• Staff training• Introducing staff to Pioneers

Audiences Advocate

• Initially I took plans to Pioneers

• Took their comments back to staff

• Longer term aim was to support Pioneers to speak for themselves

• Advocate for change with the Director

Hall of Survivors

German Home

Outcomes for Pioneers

• Increased conceptual understanding of disability prejudice

• Deepening of advocacy skills• Increased capacity to work in teams• Development of life and employment skills• Increased sense of self-esteem and pride• Making a difference: increased sense of

personal agency

Outcomes for the Holocaust Centre

• Centre had become more accessible

• But – it wasn’t fully accessible…

• The staff had a greater understanding of access issues

• But across staff – differing commitment to access and knowledge

Factors

• Time

• Part-time post and Pioneers meetings

• Budget

• Compromises between key audiences – primary children, Holocaust survivors, disabled visitors

Organisational Journey…

• From Access Police to the majority of staff being on-board with the importance of disability access

Implications for Museum Practice• Genuine change takes a long time

• It needs tackling from multiple angles on an organisational level

• Needs to be led from the top

• Disability access needs to be approached holistically

• Needs commitment to hear ‘uncomfortable truths’

• Move beyond ‘empowerment-lite’

Implications for Museum Practice

• ‘Nothing with about us – without us’

• If change is to genuinely occur for people whose voice have been marginalised then a different approach is needed with consultation – time committment

• Empowerment, reciprocity and gain for disabled people

• Disabled people need to be supported to gain access to power and decision-making