Why Disabled Public Historians’ Work Must Be Recognised, Supported, and Paid Fairly

What is it about?

This roundtable discusses the work disabled public historians do in museums, universities, archives, heritage organisations, and community history spaces. It argues that disabled historians bring essential expertise, especially around access, inclusion, lived experience, and disability history, but this labour is often undervalued, unpaid, or treated as optional extra work. The article asks public history organisations to move beyond simply inviting disabled people into conversations and instead recognise their expertise through fair hiring, proper payment, accessible working conditions, and meaningful leadership opportunities. The roundtable also highlights that access work is skilled labour. Disabled public historians are often expected to educate colleagues, fix inaccessible systems, or make institutions appear inclusive without being given enough time, authority, or compensation. The authors call for public history to take disability seriously as part of its professional practice, not just as a topic for occasional programming. In doing so, they show that valuing disabled historians’ labour makes public history more ethical, more accessible, and more accountable to the communities it serves.

Featured Image