SEND in Museums Project Resources

“The children were alert, joining in, had fun. It was a relaxed visit and we went with what worked well. The resource can be used for lots of different audiences. Personally it was eye-opening (the visit to the SEND partner school), it blew my mind what the children had to deal with and how they engaged with the sensory resources. I came away inspired to adapt the workshops. I now feel able to train other staff members. We have a huge team of over 800 volunteers, and I feel confident to be able to share it with them.’

-Lucy Ward, Brooklands Museum

The SEND in Museums conference – showcased the SEND in Museums project which ran throughout the South East during April – July. This linked museums with a variety of SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabled) groups and ages to produce focused outcomes that increased inclusion. This conference celebrated that work and built upon it with practical workshops and talks that covered different SEND subjects. The day concluded with an open discussion with strategic organisations to explore what the sector can do next to welcome SEND audiences.

Delegates heard from three museums within the SEND in Museums project on how they engaged with their audiences to create new resources and partnerships. They were given a further 12 case studies from the remaining project museums also giving practical overview of their work.

Special Schools and Museum Toolkit

We are delighted to launch this unique toolkit which aims to provide museums with practical support to create inclusive and accessible experiences for people with special educational needs and disability (SEND).

Download here.

SEND in Museums Conference

Presentations

Samantha Bowen Conference Presentation

Becki Morris at Disability Collaborative Network Presentation

Brooklands Autism in Museums Presentation

Resources

Workshop Details

SEND and Museums Conference programme

“Thought you’d like to know we had a second, follow up visit form Jigsaw school today. We used the same format with a different subject and it went REALLY well. Because the children had been before they (&us!) were so much more relaxed and they really interacted with me and the objects well.

We plan to arrange more visits next year”

-Kay, Haslemere Museum

Case Studies

Banbury Museum

Brooklands Museum

Chiltern Open Air Museum

Crawley Museum

Haslemere Museum

Lewes Castle

National Museum of the Royal Navy

River & Rowing Museum

Stowe House

The Museum of English Rural Life

The National Motor Museum

Windsor Castle

Case Study Presentations

“Many of us have friends or relatives with a special need or disability but it is only when you take part in a project like this one, that you begin to realise the scope and range of issues that people face and that issues can occur throughout your life. There is a huge ‘market’ of visitors and potential visitors that we risk losing if we don’t listen to their needs. Because these needs can be very different, and sometimes conflicting, it can be hard to know what to prioritise, but this project/conference has given me lots of pointers and contacts so I am more confident about making a start and getting my Museum on board. The most important thing I have learnt is that giving people information is critical so that SEND visitors know what to expect.”

Vicki Wood, Learning Coordinator, Banbury Museum