Approaches in museums towards disability in the United Kingdom and the United States

Abstract

This article is based on questionnaire surveys relating to responses to disability in museums in the United Kingdom and the United States, undertaken as part of a broader research enquiry. Within the context of anti-discrimination legislation, the issue of attitude is a key factor affecting response. However, underlying attitudes are difficult to identify, particularly within the imperatives of a dominant paradigm of inclusion. The approach taken was to employ a factor analysis which allows for clusters of responses to emerge from data, which in turn can be interpreted as models or approaches based on sets of attitudes. The factor analysis revealed five clusters. Interpreting these clusters shows that it is possible to identify relationships between some attitudes and beliefs that underpin response to disability within museums. The findings show that despite anti-discrimination legislation and efforts by museums to improve access, the issue of attitude remains a key barrier to genuine inclusion for deaf and disabled people.

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