Unpicking ableism and disablism in museums

Museums are increasingly focused on enhancing and supporting the museum experience for all visitors. However, it is often difficult for museum professionals to translate intention into action. Through an exploration of the historical origins of both the development of museums and the development of understanding around disability, this chapter highlights the roots of ableism and disablism, which are systemic in museum practice. It explores the ways in which these biases are intertwined with colonialism. Drawing on research from psychology, museum studies, and critical disability studies, this chapter challenges the validity of the concept of a normative museum visitor. Instead, it proposes that all should be for all. We argue that alternative models of thinking about museum experiences and museum design, which put disability and what is known about disability at their heart, would enhance the museum experience for all visitors.