Postgraduate research students

Title:

Autism in Museums: Co-Creation Strategies for Making Museums Autism-Accessible

Short summary:

This thesis investigates how museums can become accessible for autistic and neurodivergent adults. In recent years, with the increase in autistic people being diagnosed across the world and an increasing focus within the cultural heritage sector to become more inclusive in its accessibility provision, it is clear that increasing accessibility for autistic visitors is a natural next step in museum development. However, to date, the focus on making “autism-friendly” museums in practice and in existing literature has tended to focus on children and not included autistic people in the planning or evaluation stages. Led by an autistic researcher, this project is about including autistic people in research that could result in sectoral change.

Through the use of emancipatory practice, actively involving autistic adults, this study aims to identify and address currently existing barriers to museum visiting by asking autistic people for their input and using these experiences to shape future resources. The data gathered through surveys, focus groups and interviews will be used in order to develop responses that can be put in place within museums. 

Research Aims, shaped with feedback by neurodivergent adults: 

• To better understand the motivations for AuND people who wish to visit museums, and the barriers that prevent them from visiting Scottish museums.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of what museums currently offer Neurodivergent audiences, and better understand the barriers to progress in accessibility for this audience. 
• To demonstrate the benefits and challenges of working with Neurodivergent audiences using participatory and emancipatory methods to enhance accessibility for traditionally underserved audiences.
• To create sectoral Guidance to help make museums more accessible to AuND audiences. 

Conferences:

• Scottish Museum Federation, Seeing the Bigger Picture Conference (May 2023), Speaker - Making Museums Accessible for Autistic and Neurodivergent Audiences, workshop. To see full programme, it is available on Eventbrite.
• It Takes All Kinds of Minds (ITAKOM), (March 2023) Poster Presenter - Autistic-Led Emancipatory Research: Enabling Autistic Voices to Enhance Access to Cultural Heritage. Abstract available on ITAKOM website, on page 88.
• ITAKOM, (March 2023), Storytelling Submission - 5 minute presentation on the importance of Neurodivergent role models for young neurodivergent people.
• University of Glasgow, This PhD Life Conference (October 2022), Speaker - Autistics in Academia. Available to watch on YouTube.
• University Museums of Scotland Network, (April 2022), Speaker - In Conversation: New Autistic Insights for Scottish Museums.
• University of Glasgow Neurodivergent Network, (March 2022), Panelist - Experiences of Diagnosis. Available to watch on YoutTube.
• GLAM Chats, podcast on research, (November 2021), In Conversation with Elena De Marco. Available on SoundCloud.

PhD Publications:

• Editorial Board member (reviews), Museum Association's Museum Journal - Anti-Ableism edition, due September/October 2023.

Masters Related Publications:

The Hunterian: Autism-Friendly Resource

Autism in Museums: Creating Autism-friendly pre-visit Resources for the Hunterian Museum (2019)

• Professor Maria Economou
• Dr Chiara Horlin
• Dr David Simmons

External supervisors

Professor Maria Economou

Doctor David Simmons

Doctor Chiara Horlin

Lord Kelvin and Adam Smith (LKAS) Studentship (2020-2024)

• Scottish Museum Federation, Seeing the Bigger Picture Conference (May 2023), Speaker - Making Museums Accessible for Autistic and Neurodivergent Audiences, workshop.
• It Takes All Kinds of Minds (ITAKOM), (March 2023) Poster Presenter - Autistic-Led Emancipatory Research: Enabling Autistic Voices to Enhance Access to Cultural Heritage.
• ITAKOM, (March 2023), Storytelling Submission - 5 minute presentation on the importance of Neurodivergent role models for young neurodivergent people.
• University of Glasgow, This PhD Life Conference (October 2022), Speaker - Autistics in Academia. Available to watch on YouTube.
• University Museums of Scotland Network, (April 2022), Speaker - In Conversation: New Autistic Insights for Scottish Museums.
• University of Glasgow Neurodivergent Network, (March 2022), Panelist - Experiences of Diagnosis. Available to watch on YoutTube.
• GLAM Chats, podcast on research, (November 2021), In Conversation with Elena De Marco. Available on SoundCloud.
• Information Studies Symposium (December 2020), Speaker - "Digital Data Collection: The Potential for Greater Accessibility?"

Throughout my PhD I have actively been involved in assisting in the teaching of different subjects at masters level.

Teaching on accessibility for the following courses:

• Museum Skills and Professional Practice - developing lecture style talk on accessibility for neurodivergent audiences, using own research (PhD and masters level) as case studies. leading activities, including an Accessibility Audit.
• Museum Learning and Engagement - presenting on case studies on how to make museums accessible for neurodivergent people.
• Exhibition Development - developed and ran a talk on planning events with accessibility in mind.
• Autism - informally was involved in feeding back on the course content (2020), assisting students at undergraduate and masters level with understanding concepts in Zoom breakout rooms.

Graduate Teaching Assistant:

• Digital Cultural Heritage
• Museum Skills and Professional Practice

Research interests include:

• Accessibility
• Autism
• Museum learning and engagement
• Co-production and empowerment practices
• Disability studies

Previous study: MSc Museum Studies (Distinction), Ma(hons) Economic and Social History (2:1).