As a working-class disabled person damaged by the benefits system, reading about DWP workers bemoaning the DWP's "lack of empathy" as they threaten industrial action - it is really testing my sense of solidarity.

Friday vibes. Been ill this week and finally had time to start processing some grief from months ago. Autism and grief don't mix.

📣New #Exhibition at #Dover Museum: Crabble Athletic Ground. On the 6th January 1896, four businessmen in Dover formed a syndicate named Dover Athletic Ground Ltd with a plan to create a cricket ground and cycling track.

Last week, I went to go visit @karlantmercer.bsky.social 's "At the End of History," at @dovermuseum.bsky.social and had a fantastic day out. The VR portion of the exhibit is like nothing I've ever experienced before. Highly urge everyone to see this exhibit before it closes. #DisHist

As we spend this time of year reflecting on the nature of death and remembering the dead, Dover Museum looks to their collections that relate to this theme. Pictured are drawings of gravestones from around #Dover District and #Thanet by John Lewis Roget (1828–1908). #Halloween #Thesaurus

Me and my wonderful co-producer Mark on ITV Meridian news looking at my new gallery. We are still seeking volunteers to facilitate the VR experience so get in touch if you're interested. www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqRP...

New exhibition curated by Dover Museum's Curating Visibility fellow, @karlantmercer.bsky.social At the End of History: Open from 20th October. Free entry. Entry to VR experience is by advanced booking only: tinyurl.com/mw4m4bbj @accentuateuk.bsky.social

It's World Audiovisual Heritage day! For Dover Museum’s newest exhibition, Curating Visibility Fellow Karl Mercer and a team of deaf, disabled and neurodivergent co-producers explored the Museum’s collections to create an immersive experience using VR. #AudioVisualHeritage #AudioVisualHeritageDay

Excellent first week of my new exhibition. Had some great conversations with visitors. Had a lengthy chat today about the layers and layers of accessibility we had to build in - including making our VR piece accessible to vision impaired users. It's groundbreaking work that deserves attention.

At the End of History can be found on the top floor of Dover Museum in the Bronze Age Boat Gallery. Free entry. Part of the exhibition includes a VR experience. Admission to the VR experience is available through advanced booking only: tinyurl.com/mw4m4bbj

Curated by @accentuateuk.bsky.social fellow Karl Mercer, At the End of History is an interactive experience exploring objects and stories of disability and looking at how we engage with history and objects.

Trudy was deaf from childhood and following her successful swimming career she went on to teach deaf children to swim. Her story is one of many being told in Dover Museum’s newest exhibition: At the End of History.

Trudy crossed from France to England, landing at Kingsdown near #Dover, after 14 hours and 34 minutes - a record time.

#OnThisDay, October 23 1905, Getrude ‘Trudy’ Ederle was born in New York. Trudy was a medal winning Olympic champion swimmer, who also became the first recorded woman to successfully swim the Channel on August 6th 1926.

My exhibition opens on Monday! Woo!

New exhibition curated by Dover Museum's Curating Visibility fellow, @karlantmercer.bsky.social At the End of History: Open from 20th October. Free entry. Entry to VR experience is by advanced booking only: tinyurl.com/mw4m4bbj @accentuateuk.bsky.social

After a successful private launch of my exhibition I was reminded of that time I delivered a poem that is definitely not under 60 seconds long in under 60 seconds. At the End of History at @dovermuseum.bsky.social opens to the public on 20th October.

Verified. This happened. Deal Man is very proud 🥲

Very sad I've been too busy museuming to join in #classicstober this year. But prior to the last few years all I knew was katabasis - Can I score points for living it!? I'm method!😂 Really loving everyone's posts I'm seeing - what a theme this year! Such vibes for morbid me!

So this is real... Only went and curated like...a whole exhibition, with art and media, and a VR piece especially tailored for accessibility particularly for visually impaired users.

Guy at a hotel just picked his table for breakfast, grabbed the mug, went and got coffee and food, came back to the table, saw me sat nearby, stopped, and then walked away to another table. What did I do!? 😂

It's been over 3 years since I last put on a display or exhibition. Think I'm about overdue for a revival, right?

We do enjoy these beautiful posts from @exeterunispeccoll.bsky.social showing the work of Anne Pratt. Anne Pratt was a botanical illustrator and author who produced most of her works, including the one featured, while living in #Dover in the mid-19th Century.

National sunglasses day is a compulsory call to put sunglasses on museum collections, and frankly Deal Man rocks a pair of aviators. #NationalSunglassesDay #sunglassesday #sunglasses #museum #collections #Deal #Dover #beach

People who don't enjoy "The Hundred" are the same people who espouse the values of cultural heritage but consistently under-fund museums. Just saying.

! Calling for #volunteers ! Production of our exciting Curating Visibility exhibition is now in full-swing. We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to facilitate the virtual reality experience. See link below to find out more ⬇️ www.dovermuseum.co.uk/Exhibitions/... @accentuateuk.bsky.social

Pictured are #sketches of the 12th century #church of St. James the Apostle in #Dover from a sketch book of sepia ink drawings in Dover Museum's #archive. The artist is unknown, but a note at the back dates the drawings to c.1830. Alongside the drawings are photos of the site today.

If you open up that box it's just my life in there.

We 'herd' that is #CowAppreciationDay today, so here's a repost of John Lewis Roget's drawing of Appleton Farm, Martin #Dover.

Being forced to move house is brilliant. So far I've paid a month's rent on somewhere I can't even live yet due to the water pressure being so bad the boiler and shower don't work, and my £2000 flooring being delayed. But at least I got all this free cortisol.

Today is #NationalPigeonDay! To celebrate the #pigeon we thought we'd look to the museum's taxidermy First World War carrier pigeon. This pigeon was carefully cleaned and repaired by #Dover Museum’s Collections Assistant, Kayleigh. Find out more in our post from earlier in the year ⬇️

New #Exhibition coming soon: Museum in miniature. An exploration of #miniature versions of things from life that people have produced and enjoyed. 📅Open June 10th 2025-April 2026 📍Special Exhibitions Gallery, #Dover #Museum.

I'm not saying it's all fun and games at @romanpalace.bsky.social, but this is how I imagine the role of 'Head of Operations' there...

The autistic experience of being tired of people telling you how you feel and what's good for you.

In memory of my mum, who sadly died last Tuesday, my family and I are running a campaign to raise money for MSA Trust. While not many of you knew my mum, many of you do know me and how hard the last few years of dealing with my mum's condition has been. www.justgiving.com/page/vicki-m...

In memory of my mum, who sadly died last Tuesday, my family and I are running a campaign to raise money for MSA Trust. While not many of you knew my mum, many of you do know me and how hard the last few years of dealing with my mum's condition has been. www.justgiving.com/page/vicki-m...

🔍 Object of the Week: Bartholomew Fair by B.R. Haydon (1786–1846) features rare early depictions of disabled figures, including someone using crutches and a small Black figure, possibly a child or person living with achondroplasia. 📍 @dovermuseum.bsky.social Curated by @karlantmercer.bsky.social

World getting you down? Work full on? Personal life a mess? There's always time for a song or a poem. Come along to Exposure Open Mic in Waterstones, Canterbury tomorrow to see some amazing artists perform - oh and me!

How to create a #nature-literate society. My latest article @theconversation.com Revaluing naturalists' skills is essential for a future where we work with, not against, nature. Notice Name Nurture #GreenJobs theconversation.com/heres-how-to... @uclnews.bsky.social @curlewaction.bsky.social

I am going to engage in domestic archaeology today.

Over there they probably call him "Hank Hog" or something...

"The traditional, medicalised view of autism leads people to overlook any possible advantages and look in the wrong places for possible solutions to problems. It is no wonder that so many autistic people (and families, and professionals) are sick of it."

I should say something for autism awareness or whatever - so I'll say this. At this point I'm sick of making you aware. I want a reverse autism awareness day, where society makes me unaware I'm autistic just for one damn day.

I'm working for free, and I'm exhausted! But soon I'll have something ready to show, and I hope it will make a difference to autism understanding and acceptance in the UK. 'Awareness' is a start - but 'understanding' is what we need to aim for. 💖

Today is World Autism Awareness Day, in Autism Awareness Week, which is in Autism Awareness Month. Spare a thought today for all the autistic people who really hate April! But in the spirit of awareness... I've been quiet on social media lately because I've been working on a Big Autism Project...

Proud to be a part of this team and I can't wait to see all the great things we come up with.

My new org: Journalists Against April Fools ✊

Sending love to autistic people as we wade through another 'Autism Awareness Month'. For many years, we've had organisations run it as a 'bewareness month', and promote the dreadful puzzle pieces & the colour blue. They also often support ways to enforce normalisation of autistic people/

Look, everyone knows no cafe is serving up dragon eggs, your museum did not acquire Henry Tudor's pickled nob, a day-in-the-life documentary about a disused railway bridge is not set for an oscar nom, and cheese is not sentient. Can April Fools just stop...

So, when the Government says they will find us jobs, and relies on...that charity for advice....(which they do)...well, I wonder what will happen?