ULC Museums, Exhibitions and Galleries Access Policy

Defining Access

Durham University Museums, Galleries & Exhibitions are committed to sharing our collections 
more widely, where possible, and recognise that promoting and supporting access is beneficial to 
the collections themselves; to the University; and the wider community. For the purpose of this 
Policy, we use the definition of the Arts Council (England), which defines access as: “something 
that is made possible when physical, cultural, social, financial, intellectual, psychological and 
emotional barriers are removed or reduced” (Arts Council Collection Collections Access Policy & 
Procedure, Section 3, 
https://artscouncilcollection.org.uk/sites/default/files/3_Collections_Access.pdf). 

Our commitment to accessibility

The aim of Durham University Museums, Galleries & Exhibitions with regard to accessibility can be 
summarised as making our collections available to the widest possible range of audiences for the 
purposes of researching, learning and enjoyment subject to the constraints of maintaining the 
safety, security and preservation of the items, and our users at all times. This Access Policy 
promotes a framework that strives to include all users and potential users whether they choose to 
visit in person or remotely through a range of means, as resources allow. 

We recognise that there are barriers to access at all sites and to the collections within our portfolio. 
However, we believe that all people have a fundamental right to engage with, use and enjoy the 
collections. We are committed to removing and reducing barriers to access wherever possible and 
within the resources available to us. We aim to provide the widest possible access to our buildings, 
collections and services to enable audiences from all sections of the community to enjoy use of the 
collections. 

Our policy is to build accessibility into everything we do to develop and improve the service across 
our venues and collections. Our commitment is long term and our policy is to make continuous 
improvements. 

Our commitment to accessibility extends to our staff, students and volunteers as well as visitors
and those we engage with, both onsite and beyond. We are committed to ongoing access training 
for staff, students and volunteers. 

To eliminate barriers and ensure equality of access we will consider multiple forms of accessibility
including, but not restricted to: 

• Physical – to take reasonable steps to enable people with physical disabilities to reach, use
and appreciate every part of our buildings. To also take account of the needs of the elderly 
and of people caring for young children

• Sensory – to enable visitors with impaired vision or hearing to enjoy the University’s collections

• Neuro Diversity – to ensure that our engagement activities recognise the neuro diversity of 
our audiences.

• Intellectual – we recognise that people have different learning styles and we will provide 
differing interpretation to meet their needs. We also recognise that finding material may prove 
challenging and we will endeavour to ensure that our catalogues and other finding aids best 
facilitate research. We also aim to ensure that people with learning difficulties can engage with 
and enjoy Durham University’s collections. 

• Life Experiences – to consider the needs of people from a range of backgrounds, whose 
histories and lived experiences may or may not be reflected in our collections. Wherever 
possible, we will seek to represent, with sensitivity and accuracy, the interests, life experiences 
and cultures of diverse communities within our exhibitions. 

• Attitudinal – to ensure the physical environment and our staff are welcoming to visitors from 
all communities. We will also aim to ensure that the people of County Durham and the North 
East region feel the collections are of significance to them. 

• Financial – we are committed to a policy of free entry wherever possible. Where charges are 
made, these will be reasonable and appropriate concessions will be available. Research 
access to collections will be provided free of charge. All retail and catering services will stock 
goods which take account of the range of incomes for all visitors. 

• Geographical – the collections held by the University are drawn from a diverse range of world 
cultures. We will aim to use alternative methods of access to the collections, for example via 
printed and electronic media, for those who are unable to access the collections in person. 

• Technological – the internet and other forms of electronic communication offer great 
opportunities for increasing access. However, we recognise that new media can also act as a 
barrier. We will aim to follow relevant standards and good practice for accessibility and 
usability in the development of all digital resources. 

Employment and Training

Durham University is an equal opportunities employer. In line with Durham University’s Equality, 
Diversity and Inclusion Policy and relevant legislation, Durham University’s Museums will aim to 
eliminate unlawful or unfair discrimination with regards to employment. We will seek to encourage 
and support all staff to achieve equality of opportunity for recruitment, employment, training and 
advancement within Durham University. 

We will ensure that staff and volunteers with disabilities are provided with appropriate adapted or 
additional equipment or services as far as resources allow. These procedures will be monitored 
and reviewed regularly.

Action Plan

We will develop, and regularly review, an Access Action Plan that considers all of the barriers to
accessibility listed above. This plan will be organised under the following headings: 

• Buildings Access

• Access to Collections

• Access to Learning

• Access to Visitor Services

• Access to Communication

Overall policy in each of these areas is outlined below. 

Buildings Access

We will aim to provide equal access wherever possible to our buildings for all visitors. Attention will 
be given to both permanent and temporary structures when making the building accessible. Some 
of our historic buildings are listed and this may limit the physical adaptations that are possible. 
Nevertheless, we will constantly work to improve the facilities available to visitors and will actively 
seek ways to make our collections accessible even when our buildings are not. 

We are committed to providing a safe and secure environment for all. Procedures for the safe 
evacuation of disabled people in an emergency will be regularly reviewed and training for staff in 
these procedures will be provided. 

Access to Collections
Our staff are committed to increasing public access to the collections and the information we hold 
about them. We will provide varied means of access to the collections, within our financial means,
including, but not restricted to, catalogues, displays, exhibitions (physical and digital), handling 
sessions, publications, events and web-based resources.

We will provide levels of information and interpretation to suit a range of audiences and abilities. 
We will aim to ensure that the presentation and labelling of displays respects a diversity of cultural 
perspectives and lived experiences. We will also constantly review the information presented in our 
physical and digital spaces in order to ensure that it is informed by current research.

We will offer physical access to our collections at all sites to researchers, staff and students and 
we will aim to develop additional web-based resources to support wider access and engagement. 
We will also continue to operate an active policy of loans to other museums and exhibition venues, 
locally, nationally and internationally. 

Collections information is available to researchers and enquirers on-line and on-site. 
We will maintain and develop our handling collection, where appropriate. 

Access to Learning

We are committed to placing learning at the heart of our service. We aim to provide learning 
opportunities for different audiences and levels of ability and tailor our programme to the needs of 
specific groups where appropriate and within the resources available. 

We will aim to provide education programmes for all permanent galleries and temporary exhibitions
to interpret the collections for and with people from a range of backgrounds, abilities and lived 
experiences. 

We will identify and develop partnerships with a range of other educational and community 
organisations to ensure that our activities continue to cater for the widest possible audiences. 

Access to visitor services

Our front of house staff will assist and welcome all visitors. They will endeavour to help visitors 
have access to, enjoy, and learn from the collections. All visitor services staff will receive 
appropriate training in customer care. 

We will consider the comfort of our visitors by providing, where possible, accessible toilets, baby 
changing facilities, access for wheelchairs, other mobility aids and pushchairs, a variety of seating 
in galleries and loanable on-site wheelchairs. 

We aim to provide appropriate signage and navigation tools to suit a range of audiences (eg. in 
different sensory formats and languages) as resources become available. 

Access to communication 

We will promote the activities and events taking place within our venues using accessible means of 
communication. We will aim to provide material on request in alternative formats for a range of 
needs and languages. We will aim to ensure that all internal and external communications follow 
good practice guidelines as prescribed by specialist organisations such as the RNIB. 

We will provide a range of ways that people can communicate with us and actively feed into our 
engagement processes. We will actively develop audiences for our venues.

We will evaluate our services and projects to ensure they meet the provision of this Policy and we 
will consult with users and non-users on all significant new developments and regularly conduct 
audience research to better identify these two groups.

Review

This policy will be reviewed at least very five years to ensure that it remains in line with national 
guidelines and standards.

Date of next review: June 2028.

Approved by ULCC 19 June 2023