To help create an inclusive workplace and collection, North Herts Museum has recently welcomed curatorial trainee Freya Purcell to the team, who has epilepsy and dyslexia.

Freya has been employed as part of Curating for Change, a nationwide campaign to tackle the under-representation of disabled, neurodiverse and deaf individuals working within the museum sector.

Funded by the National Lottery, the scheme aims to increase diversity in the sector, as a report by the Office for National Statistics in 2020 found that 20 per cent of the working age population have a disability, yet according to recent surveys they make up only four per cent of people working as museum professionals.

Freya, who recently completed a masters in history of design wants to hear what stories people might have about experiences with disability in the area, both historical and present-day.

She said: “The chance to showcase stories within our collection of disabled individuals is hugely exciting. Having loved museums from a young age, I rarely saw my experience as a young person with disabilities reflected. It is a privilege to help address that.”

Councillor Keith Hoskins, North Herts Council's executive member for enterprise and arts, added: “We’re so pleased to help contribute to this change across the sector, to help ensure our staff and collections can more fully reflect the diverse and vital stories of North Herts.”

To find out more or to tell your story about disability in North Herts, get in touch via Freya.purcell@north-herts.gov.uk or 01462 474554.