'Accessible Pasts, Equitable Futures'  is an Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funded project led by researcher Ann-Marie Foster. 

The project explores how digital heritage collections at IWM can be made more accessible to disabled, chronically ill, and neurodivergent researchers. 

This research covers both online digital collections, and ones that can only be accessed in the Research Room. It began in February 2024 and will end in January 2026. 

This project rests on the premise that the heritage industry is not doing enough to make digital cultural heritage accessible. We know this. Here at IWM we are committed to trying to understand what can be done to improve this, and build the findings of this project into our future work. 

We are committed to working with you to work out what can be done better, to help everyone access our collections. 

Who is involved? 

Primary Investigator 

This project is led by a researcher with lived experience of how difficult it can be to conduct research when the world is not set up to honour your access needs. Ann-Marie (they/she) is a historian and an active researcher, who publishes about war and museums. They have been awarded an AHRC Early Career Fellowship in Cultural and Heritage Institutions to do this research. This project was born from the recognition that there is little conversation between museums, archives, and libraries, and disabled, chronically ill, and neurodivergent researchers. Hopefully, this project will start to change that. 

Advisory Board

At IWM Ann-Marie is being mentored by Dr Maria Castrillo, Head of Collections Access and Research. 

The project is supported by an internal Advisory Board, which comprises members from the access and inclusion team, the governance team, the digital transformation team, and the volunteering team. 

Ethics 

We are committed to making this project as accessible as possible, and will continue to refine how we work throughout the project. We hope to work with all involved on making research at IWM more accessible for many years to come.

Key ethical points are: 

  • We will always try and find a way to work with you that works for you. We can provide BSL interpreters, low energy ways of working, and other options. If in doubt, ask. 
     
  • You do not have to disclose any medical history at any time during this research. We are interested in helping improve access, not your medical records. 
     
  • We know we will not always get it right. We are very aware that what makes one thing accessible to one person might make it inaccessible to another. Please correct us and we will take the necessary steps to accommodate. 
IWM’s reading room. The room is full of long white desks with swivel chairs. Running along one wall are shelves full of reference books for consultation.
© IWM
IWM London's Research Room.

Project News

This summer we have recruited members of a Disability Focus Group, and a new survey has been rolled out. The survey is still live, so if you have ever used our collections, or would like to, you can fill out the survey here. 

Work has also begun on preparing the groundwork for the digital volunteer opportunity which will open in January 2025. Although this seems a while away time feels like it’s speeding up on this part of the project. 

Ann-Marie has been talking to people who are making their archives and collections more accessible, and been finding out what has been going on elsewhere in the UK. If you are a member of an archive, library, or museum team who is pursuing this kind of research, do feel free to get in touch. 

Project opportunities 

We are gradually rolling out opportunities to get involved in this research. These will be advertised on our social media channels and through this webpage. Nearly all opportunities will be fully digital, with the option to do a site visit if you are part of the Disability Focus Group. You can also get in touch with Ann-Marie if you have any questions. 

Research user survey

We are interested in hearing from anyone who uses or would like to use IWM's collections, and are inviting users to take part in our research user survey. 

We want to know what we do well, and what we can do to build better, more accessible, research infrastructure. The survey will be live until the end of September. 

Volunteer recruitment

From January 2025 we will be recruiting volunteers to create extra information about our collections to increase how accessible our digital heritage is, from alt-text to audio and beyond. 

Get involved

  • Research user survey

    Our research user survey is currently live. We want to hear from anyone who uses IWM's collections online or in-person. 

  • Volunteer

    Volunteer opportunities will open in January 2025. We’re still planning what this opportunity will look like, but what we can say is that in 2025 we’d like you to digitally volunteer with us to help create things like alt-text, long descriptions, audio descriptions, and other ways of interpreting research material at IWM. 

  • Get in touch

    If you have any questions or feedback, please email Ann-Marie at: [email protected]

Explore more

A view of the card index kept at Leytonstone Public Library
IWM (D 22113)

Research Room

We provide access to a wide range of material in our Research Room including documents, printed material, photographs, sound recordings, IWM’s administrative records and e-resources. Booking is essential. 

Photograph of the Atrium at IWM London
© Morris Brodie
IWM London

Accessibility at IWM London

See what accessibility provisions we have at IWM London.

A person who works for IWM cleaning models of dazzle ships in 1926.
©IWM (Q 45234)

Collections online

Explore over 1 million items from IWM's collections that tell the story of war and conflict.

Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)

'Accessible Pasts, Equitable Futures' is an Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funded project.