The Victoria & Albert Museum in London presents Design and Disability from 7 June 2025 to 15 February 2026, a groundbreaking exhibition that places disability, accessibility and inclusive design at the centre of contemporary creation.
Featuring 170 objects spanning fashion, design, architecture, photography and technology, the V&A showcases the creativity of Disabled, Deaf and neurodivergent artists and designers from 1940 to today.
Curated by Natalie Kane, the exhibition offers an immersive experience where visitors can see, hear, touch and feel. Accessibility, inclusion and design justice guide every step of the exhibition.
Visibility and Identity: Reclaiming the Narrative
The opening section explores design as a tool for visibility and self-expression.
Works by Sky Cubacub (Rebirth Garments) and Maya Scarlette transform fashion into political statement.
Photographs by Marvel Harris celebrate identity, transition and self-affirmation.
Influential zines such as Able Zine and Dysfluent Magazine bring graphic power to stuttering, fragility and underrepresented voices, reinforcing the rise of disability culture in contemporary design.
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Tools and Innovation : Hacking, Inventing, Empowering
This section highlights how assistive technologies reshape autonomy.
The Touchstream keyboard by Wayne Westerman—a precursor to Apple’s touch technology—Cindy Garni’s DIY prosthetics, and Microsoft’s Xbox Adaptive Controller illustrate how design created by and for disabled people drives global innovation.
The iconic Jaipur Foot, a low-cost prosthetic used by millions worldwide, stands as a symbol of accessible design and humanitarian engineering.
Living and Accessibility : Creating a World for Everyone
The final space questions how we inhabit the world.
From the Anti-Stairs Club, campaigning against exclusionary architecture, to Wendy Jacob’s Squeeze Chaise Longue, created with autistic scientist Temple Grandin, design becomes a form of care, comfort and resistance.
The exhibition ends with a sensory decompression zone, dedicated to rest and emotional regulation—an exceptional museum innovation and a powerful statement about accessibility.
More Than an Exhibition : A Manifesto for an Inclusive Future
Design and Disability is more than a museum exhibition—it is a manifesto for inclusive design and a call to rethink the role of accessibility in society.
Each object demonstrates the creative intelligence of lived experience, the beauty of adaptation, and the power of design to transform everyday life.
The V&A shows that reimagining design is already shaping a fairer and more accessible future.
Practical Information
📍 Porter Gallery, V&A Museum, South Kensington, London
📅 7 June 2025 – 15 February 2026
Recommended Reading
Flo Muliardo – “Les Enfants Rois”: When Art Restores Dignity to Childhood
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