Louise Bell from the UK Disability History and Heritage Hub encourages attendees to think about accessibility in their events and practices.
This session, delivered by Louise Bell from the UK Disability History and Heritage Hub (UKDHHH) will encourage attendees to think about accessibility in their events and practices. It will provide practical tips and insights and will have plenty of time for attendees to ask questions and discuss their projects and needs.
Founded in 2022, the UKDHHH is a network to allow those interested in Disabled, Neurodiverse, and D/deaf histories, from the ancient world to the modern era, to connect and collaborate. The Hub is open to researchers, students, archivists, museum professionals, activists and anyone in-between!
Their aim is to make events and practices as accessible and inclusive as possible. However, as a voluntary group with no consistent funding, they understand how tricky this can be. In 2024, the Hub received two Wellcome-funded networking grants. These grants helped fund two events which encouraged those working in and around disability histories to share their projects and connect. The funds were largely used on accessibility provisions – British Sign Language Interpreters, Speech to Text Reporters, video streaming licenses, and more. The events were well received for their accessibility. However, for contrast, they also run monthly virtual events, which don’t have the luxury of funding behind them, but which they still make as accessible as we can given the limitations. They strive to show best practice in running accessible events.