Sara Thomson

Sara Thomson is the Special Education and Access Manager at the New York Transit Museum where she manages Access Programs for children through adults and oversees the accessibility of the Museum space (onsite and virtual), resources, and staff.

Sara previously worked for nine years at a school for children with multiple disabilities, interned at the National Portrait Gallery focusing on accessibility, and volunteered at the Morris Museum’s access programs and served on their Access-ABILITY Committee.

Sara was a steering committee member of the Museum, Arts and Culture Access Consortium in New York City, and she has a MA in Museum Studies from the Johns Hopkins University and a BA in History from Clemson University.

MuseumNext Digital Summit
Tuesday, 7th June 2022

Moving Beyond a Traditional Model for Access Programs

How can museums move beyond traditional program models to be responsive to their audiences? The New York Transit Museum developed an in-depth program over a decade ago for neurodivergent students by listening to the needs of an audience already visiting. The program builds on shared interests to support interaction, provides a context for navigating social situations, and develops students’ confidence. During the pandemic, the Museum realised that connection for students was more important than ever and developed ways to continue to be responsive to audiences through an online program. Learn about the unique approaches to program development and pandemic-related shifts.

Full Schedule Here