I bring 25 year’s of curatorial and learning and engagement experience in museums and have created Sandford award winning learning programmes and resources.
As a SEND parent I now also bring lived experience of understanding different methods to engage, communicate and share the magic of museums, heritage settings and galleries with SEND audiences and I use this to develop resources that support their access and enjoyment.
I can work with your team to support the development of SEND access resources, be they written, or object based or do that job wholly for you and deliver a bespoke offer. Either way, I always include the staff involved in this at every stage, because this too is a learning opportunity for them plus lots of fun!
I have a commercial licence from Widgit the symbol company that designs ‘communicate in Print’ which is used throughout SEND settings for non-word users. I can use these to create a wide range of communication materials including trails, social stories or signs for information. They can also be used in sensory maps to support visitors.
Resources support SEND visitors in multiple ways, each unique to the visitor but hugely important in opening up the relevance, understanding and enjoyment of a place as well as supporting people to feel welcome and safe. They are an important part of SEND access and inclusion and make a world of difference.
“Working with Sam was incredibly helpful, she gave us expert and practical advice at every stage of the project. The sensory bags look great, and we have had wonderful feedback on them from our visitors”. Tara Cleary, Folkestone Museum
‘We’re a museum that’s always striving to be more inclusive and accessible so working with Sam has been incredibly valuable! From consulting on supportive resources and information for our website, to our bespoke SEND backpacks on site, Sam brought a huge amount of care and experience to every detail of the project.’ Murray O’Grady, The Beaney House of Art and Knowledge
