Across Canada, there are over 2,700 museums, representing a vital part of the country’s cultural and educational fabric. However, representation of persons living with disabilities, particularly within management, supervisory, and administrative roles, remains limited. A 2023 national survey of museum staff, interns, and volunteers found that only 10% identified as persons living with disabilities, underscoring the need for systemic change to improve accessibility, inclusion, and equitable representation in the museum workforce.
Realize entered into a partnership with Ingenium, a crown corporation responsible for overseeing museums related to science and technology. With an aging workforce, Ingenium was seeking capacity-building to determine the best way to support its staff. Realize and Ingenium have worked together throughout this project to develop resources that truly facilitate the inclusion and accommodation of their workforce.
Key objectives for the project were to:
- Improve representation of people living with long-term and episodic disabilities among managers, supervisors, administrative, and senior clerical personnel in the Canadian museum industry
- Develop tools and training to address industry-specific barriers to hiring and retention of people with disabilities, including episodic disabilities.
Living with Episodic Disabilities and Working in Canadian Museums:
An Educational Toolkit for Canadian Museum Staff
A three-part workshop series has been developed and implemented:
- Foundations of Disability and Episodic Disability – introduces models of disability (medical, social, and disability justice), explores ableism and intersectionality, and builds a foundational understanding of accommodations and episodic conditions
- Organizational Communication and Episodic Disability – focuses on inclusive communication, integrating intersectionality in workplace culture, and practical strategies for accessibility
- Organizational Relationships and Episodic Disability – explores inclusive leadership, universal design, privilege, and the importance of connection throughout the employee life cycle.
About This Resource
This toolkit shares insights and resources that can help you build confidence in interacting and building relationships with people experiencing ongoing health uncertainty – even when their disability is invisible. The people you interact with are seeking spaces where they can find support for their challenges and feel a greater sense of belonging. This resource is for anyone in the museum sector who wants to deepen their understanding of episodic disabilities. It offers information and resources to help individuals and teams understand how these disabilities can affect daily life, including work, learning environments, and social interactions.
Download the Toolkit
For additional information, contact:
Ingrid Palmer
Principal IDEAL Advocate
(Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, Leading to belonging)
ipalmer@realizecanada.org
Download a copy of the Needs Assessment Report – a survey of museum employees’ experiences and understanding of episodic disability in the workplace.