Museum of London – As the museum of the capital city, we are committed to representing the full diversity of London and being as accessible and inclusive as possible.
We would like to support this important initiative and to make a public commitment to being inclusive. This is particularly important to us as the present time as we develop our plans for the opening of a new Museum of London in West Smithfield in 2024.
As London’s shared place, where all the city’s stories cross and collide, we strive to achieve world-class standards in relation to equality, inclusion and access by removing barriers that divide people, for example physically, culturally, socially and intellectually. This is about much more than meeting our obligations under the Equality Act, it’s about being an exemplary museum that offers outstanding visitor experiences.
We recognise that certain groups of people with particular characteristics, eg relating to ethnicity, nationality, class, disability, health, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion or belief, have in the past and continue to experience discrimination, under-representation and marginalisation.
We are committed to, and actively champion, the principle that every individual has equal opportunity to access, feel connected to and get the most from the museum, regardless of their personal circumstances. We will ensure that our visitors and other users feel valued, respected and supported.
This runs through everything we do, eg the design of our buildings and displays, the audiences we prioritise, the choices we make about what we collect and the stories we tell, the perspectives and experiences we represent, the type of events we programme, the quality of service provided by our front-of-house staff, the stock in our shops and menus in our cafés, how we market the museum, the nature of our web and social media presence, and how we recruit and support our staff and volunteers. We recognise that consulting and working with people who face barriers to engagement and representation is essential if we are to achieve our ambitions.
We will embed inclusive design in the way we create our buildings, facilities, galleries and exhibitions. This is based on the principle that excellent design is defined by being inclusive. Guided by an understanding of, and respect for, the diversity of our visitors, inclusive design will enable us to include and provide an equitable experience for as many people as possible.