In response to the Disability Livelihood and Employment focus of this year's UK Disability History Month, we're sharing Wildflowers by Karl Mercer, a Curating for Visibility Fellow at Dover Museum a short video exploring his own experiences of employment within the heritage sector.
Video co-produced by Lizzy Sharpe, Curatorial Assistant at Dover Museum
Wildflowers - Video Transcript
Hi, I’m Karl.
I’m a white male, mid-30s, with long dark hair in a ponytail and a short beard and I’m the Curating Visibility fellow at Dover Museum.
As part of my role researching disability stories in our collection, I found a tale for Disability History Month that relates to the topic of livelihood and employment.
Anne Pratt was born in Strood in 1806. As a child she regularly had pain and immobility in her joints.
Unable to comfortably play outside, she took to drawing – her parents encouraged her with equipment and her siblings would bring her flowers from the garden to draw. Anne Pratt moved to Dover and became one of the most renowned botanical illustrators of her time.
Equity for disabled people in the workforce isn’t just ramps and lifts. A lifetime of social and cultural signposting to give direction, and disabilities are diverse. Not everyone gets shown the way equally.
I grew up working-class - museums were another world. Undiagnosed autism disrupted my education, employment was a struggle. The signposts society gave me said I was useless and unwelcome – a weed – Many see a plant trying to grow through concrete as an undesirable weed. Anne Pratt saw them rightfully as beautiful flowers.
Prejudice makes people think disabled people are a risk to employ – But I was never a risk, I was an opportunity.
Curating for Change gave me my first chance in 12 years – Like Anne Pratt’s family they supported me to do what I did best – and I excel at it.
You see, disabled people? We’re not weeds, we’re wildflowers – and we make your garden better.
You can read a blog by Curating for Change about 'equitable employment within the heritage sector for D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent museum professionals' here