Zayed National Museum to host Accessibility Conference 2026 in Abu Dhabi

ABU DHABI / AD MEDIA OFFICE

Zayed National Museum, the national museum of the UAE, will host the Accessibility Conference 2026: From Barriers to Belonging – Accessibility in Museum Practices, taking place at the museum from 3-5 November, alongside a global call for papers.
The conference will examine how accessibility can be integrated at an institutional level, shifting from isolated accommodations to systemic, meaningful change. Centred on implemented practice, lived experience and critical reflection, the event will connect regional perspectives with global dialogue to support more accountable and inclusive cultural environments.
Dr Peter Magee, Director of Zayed National Museum, said: “This conference reflects our commitment to ensuring that heritage, knowledge and creativity are accessible to every member of the community and that our museum serves, and helps facilitate, a model for inclusive practice globally. The museum is committed to ethical and inclusive participation and will work closely with selected participants to understand and support individual accessibility requirements, ensuring all participants can fully engage with the programme.”
The global call for papers invites submissions that reflect practical experience, critical inquiry and innovative thinking in accessibility across the cultural sector. Submissions should include an abstract of 300-400 words, the selected conference question, the participating organisation name, the names and roles of presenters and any additional accessibility requirements.
The Accessibility Conference will explore a range of critical topics, including how museums can act as agents of social change within their communities and how communities themselves can influence and shape museum practices. It will consider ways to centre local disability narratives and perspectives when designing culturally sensitive accessibility strategies informed by international experience.
Discussions will also focus on embedding accessibility across institutions in ways that are accountable and sustainable, without reducing lived experience to metrics or checklists. Additionally, the conference will examine approaches for delivering meaningful accessibility across outdoor, historic, and climate-sensitive environments while balancing conservation priorities, visitor safety and the overall museum experience.
This conference reflects the Zayed National Museum’s commitment to accessibility and research as central to its national mission, ensuring that knowledge and cultural narrative are widely accessible. Through its initiatives and partnerships, the museum serves as a platform for dialogue and developing positive impact.
The deadline for the global call for papers is 30 June 2026. Notification of successful submissions is 15 July 2026.