Celebrating the Launch of the DAHA Disability Arts History Website

More than 5.5 million Australians live with disability — over 20% of the population — yet artists with disability have long battled discrimination and barriers to access in the fight for representation and recognition.

This month marks a landmark moment for the sector with the launch of the DAHA Disability Arts History Website — a groundbreaking digital archive documenting the transformative impact of artists, arts organisations and allies working in disability arts from the 1970s to today.

Years in the making, the DAHA archive is both a record and a resource: capturing decades of creativity, activism and innovation that have shaped Australia’s cultural landscape. It stands as a living testament to the resilience and leadership of d/Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists who have redefined what art can be — and who it can be for.

Restless Dance Theatre is proud to have been one of the organisations contributing to this mammoth project. As Australia’s leading disability-led dance company, Restless has played a vital role in shaping inclusive contemporary performance and expanding opportunities for artists with disability on national and international stages. Being part of DAHA ensures that our company’s history — and the stories of our artists — are recognised as part of this broader movement of change and creative excellence.

The website offers a rich and dynamic experience, featuring:

• 49 artist video interviews, each exploring the work, identity and lived experience of creatives with disability, all with Auslan interpretation.
• A 70-year timeline highlighting milestones in Australian disability arts.
• Over 1,600 archival records tracing the evolution of artists, organisations and political settings that have influenced the sector.
• A searchable database of more than 10,000 people, organisations and artworks, creating a detailed map of the disability arts community.

Created in collaboration with over 100 artists, arts workers and allies, the DAHA archive honours the breakthroughs, struggles and innovations of our shared history. It also serves as a practical tool for inclusion — offering case studies, resources, and examples of leading practice to support co-design and equity across the arts.

Primary sources have been preserved without modernising language, providing a candid and unfiltered record of lived experience. This makes the archive not only a research tool but also a reflection of how far the disability arts movement has come — and how much further there is to go.

The DAHA project was made possible through a major research collaboration funded by the Australian Research Council, with support from Creative Australia, Queensland University of Technology’s Centre for Justice, Curtin University’s Centre for  Culture and Technology, Arts Access Victoria, and the University of Melbourne.

We’re thrilled to see the history of Restless and our peers represented in this incredible resource, and we invite you to explore the archive for yourself.

🔗 Visit the DAHA Disability Arts History Website → www.disabilityartshistoryaustralia.net/s/DAHA/page/Home