Between 2019-2023, 17 disabled participants were recruited from across Buckinghamshire’s disability and employment support charities. They received professional training and work experience in historical research and cataloguing, digital 3D scanning, photogrammetry, and editing. Over 95 objects were digitised in total, including several artefacts from other museums and items brought in by students at Pebble Brook School. Some of the 3D models from the NPHT collections can be seen here.
Some of the participants have taken on paid roles as Digital Explorations Project Assistants, sharing their newly learnt skills with students in SEND schools. Find out more about the team below.
Thank you additionally to Andrew, Matt, Zohaib, Becky, Chris, Richard and Harpreet who have also been part of this project.
To find out more about the project return or visit the Digital Explorations Project page here
Quotes from the Project Participants:
For me the project has been about developing our strengths and turning what can be seen as weakness into strengths. It is about finding ways to overcome our disabilities and focus on solutions and not just the problem. I have found that since doing this course that I approach things differently – I’m not scared to challenge myself and come out of my comfort zone.
The project has given me faith and hope that I can follow my dreams.
It’s been a sanity saver. It helped me move on from a loss of confidence due to being made redundant and the difficulties during COVID. Working in a team and spending time with others in the group has been really important. I sometimes struggle to get on with and meet people in my generation. The chats during lunch and elsewhere have been fun.
Caroline Peal, a Routes to Work project worker at Oasis Partnership, one of the local employment charities involved in the project:
Those of my clients who have taken part in the project have been inspired and enthusiastic about the experience. It has been beneficial in supporting them gain skills and confidence for employment. It helped one of them move on from a loss of confidence due to being made redundant. Another flourished in the project and gained confidence even when they were struggling to find a paid role. Elements of the Paralympic story make it a particularly relevant focus for building skills and confidence as part of an employment support project as it incorporates - inspiration; overcoming challenges; dealing with setbacks and getting round problems; the importance of determination, dedication, focus and hard work.’
I joined this project originally as a volunteer, whilst furloughed in March 2021. I am hugely excited about the opportunities digital technology provides in making heritage collections accessible to all and so I was thrilled to become Project Manager in July 2021. Read more
I began with 3D scanning but as the project developed, I found myself turning my attention to photogrammetry as an alternative approach and have since then become the leading mentor of photogrammetry within the project. Read more
I’m very interested in history. I found 3D scanning difficult to begin with and I was surprised that I managed to do it. I have enjoyed the whole experience and it has been good to work with other people. Read more
I have focused on editing the 3D models: filling holes in the mesh and applying the texture. It is exciting to see the 3D model when it is finished. Read more
I joined the project to learn how to 3D scan museum objects and to learn new skills. The Paralympic story had an important impact in the development of disability rights but also highlights disability discrimination today. Read more
I have enjoyed all of the project: learning about the Paralympics from a Paralympic athlete who participated in the Games, the scanning of objects, photography lessons and writing the exhibition text which brought my creative side to the surface. Read more
The project helped me to be more open about having a ‘non-visible disability’. The Paralympic story has been inspiring in bringing forward disability rights. Read more
The skill set I have is very different to sporting athletes but nonetheless I have been inspired by the mentality of the Paralympians. Working with NPHT has taught me admiration for what people can endure. Read more
This project has been a great opportunity for me. We’ve done tasks like writing captions for museum exhibits and sessions with Ben Ryan and Rupert Todd of Ursae Ltd, sessions with News Associates School of Journalism and a professional photographer. Read more
I am fascinated with the processes involved in creating the 3D imagery models and I have enjoyed liaising with the team as we try to get to grips with how the process of creating 3D models is best achieved. They are a very inclusive group of people and we all have a shared interest in these new technologies. Read more