Be part of History: The first disability museum needs you!

The museum: a place of learning, fun, and maybe eating delicious cake. But for many of us, museums are places of harm and exclusion. No accessible toilets, no step-free access, no seats, no gluten-free cakes and—most glaringly—no objects that represent us.

Our stories, our experiences, and our challenges are nowhere to be found in their displays. Museums tell us we don’t belong.

This isn’t just a feeling; the data confirms it. In the UK, only 4% of the museum workforce self-identifies as disabled, and disabled people are drastically underrepresented in senior leadership across the heritage sector. In Europe, disability history is rarely exhibited, and few objects reflect the lived experiences of disabled people. Ableism remains pervasive, leaving entire communities invisible in the very spaces meant to preserve human stories.

At The Lyme Museum, we’re here to change that. Since 2020, we’ve been turning the everyday into the extraordinary—objects that reflect the lived experiences of disability and illness. Our digital exhibitions and in-person displays have sparked global conversations about inclusion and representation.

But we need YOUR help to grow.

This year’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) is themed "Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future." At The Lyme Museum, we embody this theme by leading the conversation on inclusion and representation. Since 2020, we’ve been turning the everyday into the extraordinary—objects that reflect the lived experiences of disability and illness. Our digital exhibitions and in-person displays have sparked global conversations about inclusion and representation.

We are not waiting for change; we are making it.

And we need YOUR help to grow.

Here’s what your donation will do:

Champion Representation: Help us add stories and objects that finally make disabled people visible in cultural spaces.

Enhance Accessibility: Support digital and physical inclusivity improvements so everyone can engage with our content.

Empower Disability Leaders: Provide tools and resources for our global team of volunteers across 6 countries to lead the charge for inclusion.

We’ve built this museum on a dream and the belief that everyone deserves to be seen. But we can’t do it alone.

This isn’t just a fundraiser—it’s a movement. A moment in history.

Donate today. Together, we can create a future where disabled leadership is at the forefront of cultural transformation—and maybe even get museums to serve delicious gluten-free cakes !