School of Museum Studies

Rethinking Disability Representation

Rethinking Disability Representation (RDR)
May 2006-December 2008

What role might museums and galleries play in challenging disabilism by informing the ways in which people think about disability and understand disabled peoples’ lives?

Rethinking Disability Representation in Museums and Galleries (RDR) was a large scale, experimental project which developed new approaches to the interpretation of disability and the representation of disabled people’s lives and experiences in museums and galleries in the UK. It aimed to develop politically aware approaches to interpretation drawing on the social model of disability. Working with nine partner museums the project resulted in exhibitions, displays and educational programmes which offered to visitors, and to society more broadly, alternative (non-prejudiced) ways of thinking about disability. 

The nine projects were:

• Talking about... Disability and Art, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

• Life Beyond the Label, Colchester Castle Museum

• Lives in Motion, Glasgow Museum of Transport

• Conflict and Disability, Imperial War Museum London

• I stand corrected?, Northampton Museum and Art Gallery

• Behind the shadow of Merrick, Royal London Hospital Archives and Museum

• Daniel Lambert: an ‘exalted and convivial mind’, Stamford Museum

• One in Four, Tyne and Wear Museums

• A Whitby Fisherman’s Life: ‘Stumper’ Dryden through the lens of Frank Meadows Sutcliffe, Whitby Museum

RDR was initiated and managed by the Research Centre for Museums and Galleries (RCMG). It was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA), with contributions from the University and the nine partner museums involved.

The following publication reports and reflects on Rethinking Disability Representation and is available to download as a PDF and Microsoft WORD document. This publication is also available in alternative formats on request from RCMG.

Download Rethinking Disability Representation in Museums and Galleries

Download Rethinking Disability Representation in Museums and Galleries (word, 621Kb)

 

Related Documents

Behind the Shadow of Merrick is a ten minute film made for the Royal London Hospital Archives and Museum by Film maker David Hevey in collaboration with Archivist Jonathan Evans. The film uses objects, documents and stories related to Joseph Merrick (more widely known as the 'Elephant Man') to examine issues and issues surrounding disability both in the past and present day.

Behind the Shadow of Merrick (low resolution, 408Kb/s)

Behind the Shadow of Merrick (higher resolution, 1492Kb/s)

Download a transcription of ‘Behind the Shadow of Merrick’ available as a WORD document.(word, 44kb)

Two project updates are available to download (as PDF). These were designed to share the outcomes and learning experiences of the project.

Download RDR Project Update 1: September 2007

Download RDR Project Update 1: September 2007(word, 258kb)

Download RDR Project Update 2: April 2008

Download RDR Project Update 2: April 2008(word, 453kb)

Postage and packaging for print copies is charged at: UK, £2.00 per volume, Europe £3.00 per volume, outside Europe, £5.00 per volume.

Cheques payable to University of Leicester.

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