However, being part of a minority group facing continuous discrimination and marginalisation means it is always difficult to raise your head and speak out when something seems amiss. If Dea hadn't responded to the whole list I wouldn't have seen it and felt OK to add my suggestions.
But, the pile-on of comments likening a valid discussion to bullying, only serves to silence those who already had little agency.
Given the circumstances in which the job was advertised, the wording is fair enough as a bulk part of the role is very physical.
However, Dea has also echoed my own thoughts, as a disabled former access, inclusion and equality consultant; that perhaps with a different planning approach, this exclusive role could've been avoided. Without knowing the whole process, I couldn't say if that's the case or not, but the first question that popped into my head was that if a disabled person had already been in the role, how would the emergency museum have been built around them?
Considering access from the start can lead to lots of creative outcomes that you wouldn't have otherwise considered. Exclusion of disabled people for this job may have otherwise been avoided. But its not just about this job, its about everything, every project that's run, every staff meeting that's held, every public engagement; everything planned and delivered within this sector. It's a creative industry, and there is scope for us all to be more creative in our visions and involve people looking through different lenses, right at the start to develop them with us. It's not revelatory, but how many of us actually do it?
Questioning our own practices and being open to robust discussion is a good starting point.
Hoping that's something that this thread can encourage us to do...
Kristina
Sent from my Sony Xperia™ smartphone
---- Katherine Mail wrote ----
Beautifully worded Emily 😊 I’ve tried to draft something similar in the past but been too terrified to post!
Kate Mail
Learning Producer
Public Engagement
Please note I work part-time and my normal working days have shifted to Tuesday – Friday.
Historic Royal Palaces
Apartment 40
Hampton Court Palace
KT8 9AU
M: 07814896119
http://learningblog.hrp.org.uk/
________________________
From: List for discussion of issues in museum education in the UK. <[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of Val Bott
Sent: 10 February 2020 16:07
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: GEM job ad: Learning & Engagement Officer - Thackray Medical Museum
hear hear! Val
Val Bott MBE MA FMA, museum consultant & historian
25 Hartington Road, London W4 3TL. 020 8995 7413
valbott.co.uk nurserygardeners.com williamhogarthtrust.org.ukOn 10/02/2020 15:55, Nelson, Emily wrote:
Hello everyone,
We all work in this industry, and in learning, because we care about people’s access to great inspiring experiences, places and opportunities.
This GEM Jiscmail is supposed to be a supportive platform. Instead, it often is used in a very public and negative way that I don’t think is actually that far from bullying.
Sometimes people get things wrong, or say the wrong thing, and it perhaps needs to be called out, but there’s no need for the whole GEM list to be copied in.
As a note, I’ve been a member of this list for years, but I don’t dare post on it in case I end up at the centre of a negative pile-on. Last week, I did for the first time, and I was honestly scared of what responses I would get. I checked the wording of my email at least 5 times.
Let’s all be nicer to each other! We do amazing jobs, and make a difference to people every day!
Peace and love J
Emily Nelson
Learning and Access Officer (Memberships)
Leeds Discovery Centre
Carlisle Road
Leeds
LS10 1LB
www.leeds.gov.uk/museumsandgalleries
46,956 children aged 0-19 participated in school visits to our museums and galleries and in workshops in other settings and at least 1350 pupils used our loans boxes during 2018-9, supported by 7028 teachers. We trained 1204 teachers in the same year.
Make a statement. Be creative. Be curious. Start a conversation.
www.leeds.gov.uk/museumsandgalleries
Museums and Heritage Award winners 2019 for the Leeds Curriculum. Find it on: www.mylearning.org
@mylearning_org
From: List for discussion of issues in museum education in the UK. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Dea Birkett
Sent: 10 February 2020 15:11
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: GEM job ad: Learning & Engagement Officer - Thackray Medical Museum
Just a footnote. This isn’t a ‘fitness’ requirement. A Paralympic athlete is fit. It is a requirement not to be disabled.
Thanks
Dea
Sent from my iPhone
On 10 Feb 2020, at 14:58, Dea Birkett <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Presume this also means theses learning activities are designed so no wheelchair using adults or children can access them? What was the thinking behind designing an ‘Emergency Museum’ in this way? Out of interest, who stills funds non-inclusive activities?
Most schools, for example, include wheelchair users. So is a school supposed to exclude any wheelchair users from this? Most schools would not agree to doing that.
Just curious how you arrived at this point?
Thanks so much for clarifying.
Dea
Sent from my iPhone
On 10 Feb 2020, at 14:46, Liz Egan <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

Thanks for responding.
We have worked with our HR department and our access panel on this and unfortunately for this role- walking upstairs is an essential attribute.
As stated, the Emergency Museum is a converted Ambulance. Its is not physically possible to access the vehicle, if you cannot climb up stairs and the EM visits many venues where we have to deliver activities in places that are not easily accessible- often places without ramps or lifts.
The nature of this role is quite unique and as the galleries are currently closed, the successful candidate will be largely based on this vehicle until October. Once the galleries are opened, the nature of this role will change and reasonable adjustments will be able to be made.
We are aware that this is an unusual requirement- one which we wouldn’t usually add to a Job Specification, but in this instance, it is physically not possible to do this role, without the level of fitness we suggested.
Thanks again and I assure you we are doing everything we can to ensure Thackray is fully accessible and open to all when we reopen our doors.
Liz
From: Kristina Veasey <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: 10 February 2020 14:39
To: [log in to unmask]; Liz Egan <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: GEM job ad: Learning & Engagement Officer - Thackray Medical Museum
If it is the sole or main purpose of the job, then that's perfectly fine. However, some people can get Access to Work support workers who could carry out the physical lifting parts, leaving them to carry out the main aspects of the role. For example, I have someone who drives for me and loads and unloads the heavy furniture for my art installation when I take it to galleries.
Also, depending on what the actual job role is ie if its not purely a loading/unloading job, could a reasonable adjustment possibly be made so that the physical lifting parts are done by someone else?
Best wishes
Kristina
Sent from my Sony Xperiaâ„¢ smartphone
---- Liz Egan wrote ----Hi Dea
Thanks for your email.
A big part of this role involves carrying resources in and out of the Emergency Museum (a converted Ambulance) and visiting venues that do not always have level access. The Ambulance itself is not easily accessible and the resources can be large and heavy. For this reason, It was necessary to add this requirement to the personal specification for this role. This is an Objective Justification which takes into account the Health and Safety of the successful candidate.
Hopefully that answers your question.
Kind Regards
Liz
Liz Egan
Learning Manager
Thackray Medical Museum
Beckett Street
Leeds
LS9 7LN
Please note my working days are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday
The museum galleries are temporarily closed for refurbishment! To keep up to date, visit www.thackraymedicalmuseum.co.uk or follow us on social media. The conference centre and car park are OPEN as normal. Find out more here
---- Original Message ----
Subject: Re: GEM job ad: Learning & Engagement Officer - Thackray Medical Museum
Sent: 10 Feb 2020 13:26
From: Dea Birkett <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Cc:Is it legal to have as a requirement that must be able to ‘carry resources up stairs?’ Does that comply with DDA?
Dea Birkett
Sent from my iPhone
On 10 Feb 2020, at 12:03, GEM Office <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

From GEM Office
An advert for the following position has just been placed on the GEM website:
Job Title Learning & Engagement Officer
Organisation Thackray Medical Museum
Location Yorkshire
Salary £10 Per hour
Type Part-time 25 hours per week. Some weekend or evening work may be required
Closing date 17 February 2020
Please visit:
gem.org.uk/jobs
for more details of this and other job ads.
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