Difference North East - Researcher Disability Living Library Archive
Help uncover Disabled history in the North East
Researcher Disability Living Library Archive.
We are looking for a Disabled researcher based in the North East to help us find and preserve local disability history from archives, for the Living Library.
£2,750 per year across 2026 and 2027. Total contract value £5,500. Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Grant.
The Living Library
Difference North East launched Disability History Month 2025, bringing together venues, artists, facilitators and communities across the region. Now we are building something lasting: a Living Library, housing oral histories, archival documents, exhibitions and resources about Disabled people in the North East.
The Living Library will live on the Difference website and in libraries across the North East, giving future generations of Disabled people the chance to understand where they come from and what came before them.
Disability history in the North East is historically undocumented and at risk of being lost. We believe preserving these local stories is crucial and urgent.
What you will be doing
Working with Difference across 2026 and 2027, you will research local disability history using archives held by local authorities and other institutions. Starting points may include:
- Mary Greaves and other local figures
- Disability rights protests in the 1990s in the run-up to the Disability Discrimination Act
- The history of workhouses and special schools in the region
- Archive research using local authority collections
- Feed findings back to Difference
- Present findings at an online event
- Develop digital resources for the Living Library
- Inform and contribute to Difference's Disability History Training
- Work closely with the Difference team throughout
Is this you?
You must be a Disabled person who lives or works in the North East (the areas covered by NEMCA and TVCA).
Beyond that, we are looking for someone who:
- Is passionate about preserving the local histories of Disabled people in the North East
- Has a strong understanding of disability and social justice
- May have a background in community-led research, academic research, or archiving
- Has a strong editorial eye and can turn research into engaging resources for a range of audiences, from young people to digital visitors
How to apply
Send a short expression of interest, sharing any useful experience you have and why this role appeals to you. Email both Bex and Allison. We aim to get back to all applicants by Friday 15 July 2026.
Send your expression of interestbex@differencenortheast.org.uk and allison@differencenortheast.org.uk