The Museum Project, a three-year endeavour, seeks to increase, improve, and establish worker accessibility within Canada’s museum sector, and to increase representation at a senior level within the museum sector of people living with episodic disabilities.

Why museums? Realize Executive Director Tammy Yates-Rajaduray explains: “The seed for the Museum Project was planted after a request for a keynote on Accessibility and the Inclusion of People with Episodic Disabilities that came to Realize from the Museum of Human Rights in Winnipeg, Manitoba. At that time, the Museum focal person who made the request shared that the Museum Sector across the country needed to make progress on the inclusion of people with disabilities in general, in addition, to people with lived/living experience of episodic disabilities.
 
“It was a mere few months later that we saw a Call For Proposals for funding that perfectly aligned with such a prospective project. It was an immensely competitive process, but Realize made such a strong case that, ultimately, we were successful in the funding application being approved as the Government of Canada could see the potential return on this social investment.”
 
While the current focus is on this unique sector, the work being done now is anticipated to be meaningful across the board to the workplace culture and landscape across Canada.
 
We are pleased to be partnered with Ingenium Canada, who oversee three museums: the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, and the Canada Science and Technology Museum, all based in Ottawa.
 
 An advisory committee and community of practice (both made up of people with lived experience) have been formed, and a survey to assess needs has been completed, focusing on people’s general awareness of episodic disabilities. A national webinar launch in late October will unveil the results to the wider museum sector.
 
Says Ingrid Palmer, Project Co-Lead: “This is exciting and necessary. I believe the ripple effects of this project will have a very positive and influential impact on the labour market across the country.”