Dis/abling exclusion, en/abling access: Identifying and removing barriers in archaeological practice for persons with (dis/)abilities

This research examines the accessibility of contemporary archaeological practice for archaeologists with (dis/)abilities. To accomplish this, it draws on design literature that considers how products are developed, produced and used. This literature suggests that design practices can either be outcome-focused or user-focused, where the former strategy produces less accessible products and the latter strategy creates products that are available to a broader spectrum of end-users. The design-based framework outlined here is mobilized in this research to understand archaeology as a discipline that is focused on outcomes as opposed to users. In particular, archaeological praxis is centered on pursuing, producing and protecting objects. These object-focused goals place demands on archaeologists that can function as social, physical and economic barriers which reduce the accessibility of the discipline for some archaeologists with (dis/)abilities. As barriers in archaeological practice stem from the discipline's focus on object-centered outcomes, this research suggests that a shift in disciplinary focus to include a greater concern for users is fundamental to reducing barriers and improving the accessibility of archaeological practice. To this end, the present research proposes that archaeologists use the Principles of Universal Design (UD) and aspects of Inclusive Design (ID) to consider users in addition to the object-focused outcomes that currently underpin disciplinary praxis. Case studies drawn from community archaeology initiatives and from research participants' experiences demonstrate how archaeologists have already used aspects of UD and ID to successfully reduce and eliminate barriers and increase disciplinary access. These initiatives support my research's call for the more formal, widespread integration of the Principles of UD and aspects of ID into archaeological praxis by establishing a precedent for their use in diverse archaeological contexts. By implementing UD and ID into both project development and daily practice, archaeologists can create a discipline that is better able to respond to all archaeologists' needs, interests and changing abilities while simultaneously fulfilling outcomes related to objects.