victoria@accesstoarchaeology.co.uk

I am passionate about archaeology and inclusion in a way that is meaningful to you. I graduated from the University of Aberdeen in 2014 and since then have been passionate about providing archaeological experiences for people from all backgrounds. Accessibility can be a scary word when it comes to work or enabling people who need to experience things in a different way. I believe that by listening to people small adjustments that are not complicated or costly can be put in place and remove the social barriers around disability that society puts in place. I have presented at the Chartered Institute of Archaeologists on three occasions around archaeology and disability and have contributed to the Scottish Forestry Commission outdoor learning resource.

I am waiting for my grade for my Archaeology and Heritage degree at the University of Leicester, and yes, the focus is accessibility. I have trained to learn about different conditions and requirements, but I also have personal experience both with family and friends and more recently myself.

I have a condition that for so long robbed me of my passions, it was not until I took steps to try and manage it better that I started to feel me again. I understand the torment that happens when life makes you have to do things differently and am determined to enable as many people as I can who have a passion for archaeology to experience it in a way that they can engage with. This is why I took a step back from Access to Archaeology, to focus on regaining my focus, but accessibility has never left my thoughts.