Investing in disability heritage

At the Heritage Fund, we believe everyone should be able to benefit from our funding.

Disabled people are under-served in every area of the heritage sector, including people who are learning disabled, people with physical or sensory disabilities or those living with dementia or using mental health services.

We are working in partnership with disabled people to change this unfair situation. Under our Heritage 2033 investment principles inclusion, access and participation must be part of every project we fund.

Disabled people are far more likely to be digitally excluded, face barriers to communication, and feel more socially isolated. Even before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, disabled people and people with long-term health conditions were more likely to experience poor mental health and wellbeing.
We know that this is something that heritage projects can help to address.
Ewan Bachell, Project Manager at The National Lottery Heritage Fund

Here are some of the inspirational projects run by disabled people or delving into the history of disability in the UK. If you've got an idea, we'd love to hear from you.

Three wheelchair users protesting about the inaccessibility of public transport. They are in a busy road in London and have stopped a bus. The central figure has handcuffed themself to the bus and the person on the right of the photograph is about to do the same. The central figure also holds a placard that says “2007 WE WILL RIDE 2007”. On the pavement behind them a crowd looks on.

The Disabled People’s Archive is preserving moments of protest and community. Credit: The Disabled People's Archive, Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People.

Stories

Access and activism: the archives preserving disabled people’s heritage

Meet two projects in the north of England opening up their archives to shine a spotlight on the fight for disability rights.

A person holding a white cane and using a smartphone, in front of them is a glass museum case containing old photographs and a brightly coloured NaviLens code

The museum worked with charities and the community to adopt NaviLens technology. Credit: Flick Baker.

Stories

The app transforming visitor experience for museum-goers with vision impairment

Blandford Town Museum in Dorset shares how it’s using innovative technology to help make heritage more accessible.

An archive image showing a person in a wheelchair holding a sign in front a double double bus. There is a police officer on the left hand side.

The project uncovered Keith Armstrong's photographic archive, who photographed events from within. Credit: Shape Arts.

Blogs

Taking experiences with historic collections outside the archive’s walls

Shape Arts shares how it worked with disabled people to remove barriers, share power and build an archive informed by lived experience.

06/08/2026

in a film studio a person wearing a hearing aid watches computer monitors

D/deaf people were involved as crew and interviewees in the making of the project's film. Credit: Zebra Access.

Stories

Grantee Q&A: adapting oral history methods for Walsall’s D/deaf community

Bob Marsh, Managing Director at Zebra Access, and Robyn Swannack, Project Manager, offer their reflections and advice on helping a community tell its own stories while accommodating a wide range of access needs.

Two children stand outside the fence of the Tower of London, smiling.

The Waterloo Block was originally a barracks and is now home to the Jewel House. Credit: Historic Royal Palaces.

Projects

Expanding learning opportunities at the Tower of London

11/06/2026

Its historic Waterloo Block will be home to a new learning and community centre, creating modern and accessible facilities for schools and groups.

03/12/2024

an exhibition space with decorated masks, pictures and labels on the walls

The Beyond Labels exhibition brings together stories and experiences of disabled people in Suffolk. Credit: Simon Lee Photography.

Stories

Suffolk Archives’ inside guide to award-winning community co-creation

The Hold’s latest community engagement on disability history is the result of years of learning from projects and exhibitions that reflect and are driven by local people.

Two people digging in a raised flowerbed

Gardening is giving people opportunities to build skills, confidence and improve their wellbeing. Credit: Thrive.

Projects

Boosting mental health in Birmingham’s TV gardens

11/05/2026

Therapeutic gardening is helping preserve the natural heritage of Kings Heath Park and changing local lives.

20/01/2022

School children look at a big screen showing objects in a virtual museum.

School children exploring the National Paralympic Heritage Trust’s Global Virtual Museum. Credit: National Paralympic Heritage Trust.

Stories

Online accessibility in action through Paralympic heritage and St Fagans’ secret garden

Learn how you can put our updated digital accessibility guidance into practice in your heritage project.

Person standing in front of a display of roller posters

Rosemarie with 'Neurodiversity through the ages' display

Projects

Neurodiversity through the ages

Educating local communities in Grimsby about neurodiversity throughout human history, including – the development of psychiatry as a discipline, the history of diagnoses and how society treated neurodivergent people.

22/07/2021

Participants at tables making baskets at the Beacon Centre

Participants with a visual impairment making wicker baskets at a Beacon Centre workshop. The tactile craft has a long history and remains popular at the charity. Credit: The Beacon Centre.

Projects

Shining a light on the heritage of the sight loss community

18/02/2026

In its 150th year, the Beacon Centre for the Blind in Wolverhampton will preserve the stories of visually impaired people and make the city’s archives more accessible.

05/06/2025