English Heritage is committed to improving access to the historic environment for everybody, especially those groups who have traditionally been excluded from engaging and contributing to our shared heritage. We are working hard to ensure that we meet and exceed the legal requirements to involve and consult with different groups in all of our core work.
One of the most positive recent developments has been the establishment of the English Heritage Disability Action Group (DAG). This group is made up of staff across all pay grades and areas of expertise, all with a real interest in disability equality issues.
The majority of the members of the Disability Action Group (DAG) are disabled or have a long-term health condition. We also have members from disability advocacy bodies such as Scope, RNIB and RNID who attend meetings to provide us with external challenge.
The groups meet three times a year to discuss progress on the Disability Equality Scheme and to raise any issues affecting staff or visitors which we monitor through visitor comments and surveys.
The DAG looks at disability equality issues across the organisation, from diversifying the workforce, to grants for reasonable adjustments to improving intellectual access at our sites. Feeding into DAG is the Properties Access Group which has a remit to look at improving access at all our properties and enhancing the visitor experience for disabled guests.
Recent achievements include:
- new guidelines for all English Heritage staff on how to produce accessible publications and a much wider variety of publications available in alternative formats soon to come
- comprehensive access audit template looking at physical, sensory, intellectual access and customer care at all our sites, including family-friendly services
- revised access guide which involved disabled people in its creation and which comprehensively covers physical, sensory and intellectual access. This is available free on our website
Both the Disabilities Action Group and the Properties Access Group feed their recommendations and achievements into the Social Inclusion and Diversity Review Group. This is made up of English Heritage Directors who look at broadening access to heritage at a more strategic level. This group in turn feeds in to our Executive Board. This way we ensure that people are having a much stronger voice for change throughout the organisation and we are already beginning to see positive results.
