Blog Task 1: Disability

1. Christine Sun Kim

I found this film fascinating. Experiencing sound visually and for Christine to reclaim sounds as she experiences it. It very much highlighted for me the hegemony of perceived experience that prevails. I love the experimental nature of her practice and this is something I encourage students to embrace, make, try and do. I think that this would be a really great workshop. Showing them Christine’s practice and asking them to work in small groups, taking a sensory experience and investigating how it could be experienced in another way.

2. UAL Disability Webpages

Disabled Student Allowances;  it’s good to know that UAL offers this allowance. I have worked in organisations before that have had a similar policy and practice. I could now usefully signpost students to the Disability Service if and when a student talks to me about the need for assistive software, or if I notice that such equipment may benefit a student. I guess I feel I’d like to hear more from the Inclusive Practices team and my colleagues, how they feel it would be best to approach such a student, if they had not first disclosed a disability to me. If any of my blog group would like to comment on this, please do so. 

3. Confronting the Whitewashing Of Disability: Interview with #DisabilityTooWhite Creator Vilissa Thompson

This article really made me consider representation in film & TV. I could only think of one (visibly) disabled character of colour, being played by a disabled actor of colour, Jillian Mercado, who plays a Latino lawyer in The L Word: Generation Q.

The show is certainly consciously diverse in its casting, when compared to more mainstream productions. The actor is also queer, which contributes to her intersectionality, making this a really important piece of casting I feel. Being white and able-bodied, I recognise I have the privilege of media representation. Although, being a gay woman ‘coming of age’ in 1990s, I do feel I have some experience of not seeing myself in the world around me.

I also think that it’s worth remembering that disability is sometimes invisible, which makes it more important to create visibility in the media and in education.

In my own teaching practice, I already strive to show and discuss the work of a racially and culturally diverse range of designers and artists. However, I feel that I could revisit the artists and designers I introduce, incorporating the work of disabled artists or designers (including persons of colour) into my teaching practice.

For example, in the Graphic Design portfolio course I lead, I introduce the students to a selection of designers, both historical and contemporary. I randomly assign each student a designer to research over a week, after which they present their research to the group, responding to a few given prompts. Since I took over this course, I have very much diversified the list of influential designers I inherited. There are many more designers of colour, female designers and non-heterosexual designers. However, I don’t believe in my list I have a visibly disabled designer. This is something I am keen to introduce before the next course begins in September.

4. ‘Deaf Accessibility for Spoonies: Lessons from Touring Eve and Mary Are Having Coffee’ by Khairani Barokka

Khairani Barokka (Okka) (2017) Deaf-accessibility for spoonies: lessons from touring Eve and Mary Are Having Coffee while chronically ill, Research in Drama Education: The Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance, 22:3, 387-392, DOI: 10.1080/13569783.2017.1324778 

This reading highlighted the nature of intersectionality, the performer being a disabled, woman of colour with a non-western origin. It also very much highlighted the invisibility of some disabilities, including chronic pain and fatigue. The adage that ‘you don’t know what another person is really feeling’ is very true, with psychologically and physically. She also draws attention to the intersectionality of mental health issues in this article.

Her experience as an artist and performer is relevant to those of us who work in the arts and in education. As she makes clear that an inclusive approach must be two-pronged; taking into account the performer and also the audience. In a teaching context this would translate to the teacher (and guests) and the students. 

I admire Khairani’s bravery as a performer, as a woman and as a human. She makes an important point I feel about past lived experience (of not getting the support you require and deserve) affecting our thought processes and consequent behaviour when it comes to seeking help and support. I myself faced a somewhat comparable situation in my 20s, relating to my mental health, having spent years battling on and not receiving the support I needed, partially because I didn’t think I would get any support, because I never had. 

How can this article correct and improve my own teaching (& other professional) practice? I feel this shift needs to be both cognitive and emotional. To consider the range of disabilities (visible and unseen) that may be present in a given situation, should become an automatic consideration in my teaching planning. I think that a physical disability is obviously easier to know about and to cater for, given a little consideration and planning, but it is the less visible disabilities (including mental health) and those that may not be disclosed, that may be more difficult to ensure full inclusivity and incorporate appropriate measures. Having transcripts and recordings of some teaching sessions are a good way to ensure greater inclusivity. There are also some students that can benefit from having teaching materials  and presentation slides before the live session, to review them in advance in their own time. This is something I ensure I do on the module I lead at Hartfordshire University. I also email all students with study needs agreements (which identifies a form of disability or learning difficulty) to remind them a week in advance that the materials are available for them to view / listen to etc. 

In terms of mental health and /or chronic pain and fatigue, if a student has told you about their experience, it would be easy to allow for regular breaks, be flexible with tutorial times and locations (i.e. offer online tutorials) signpost students to other relevant support, to secure any required extensions or counselling if they express a wish to explore that. When a student (or colleague) discloses a disability to me, I ask them what would make their participation easier, if anything. 

To conclude there are some actions which are general best practice, but in my experience when someone tells me about their experience of a disability, I feel it is the best approach to ask them what (if any) support they feel could make their participation easier and put in practice what I can. It may of course be that it’s just doing things slightly differently, it doesn’t need to be termed ‘extra support’, as this implies deficiency – so a much better question would be what can we do to make this easier and more enjoyable for you?

5. Terms of Reference Journal from Shades of Noir (SoN) around Disability and choose an article to reflect on.

The Evolution of Disability Models

I found this article very interesting, as an overview of the historical and contemporary paradigms and lens’ through which disability has been and is framed.

I have a background in Psychology and am very familiar with the medical model of mental heath, and how it contrasts the more social and humanist paradigms, including R D Lang’s ‘anti-psychiatry’ stance in his work The Divided Self (1970). I know that disability in this S of N journal has a far broader definition, but it was a useful association for me.

I feel as though there is a real shift occurring from the medical ‘something is wrong’ and the ‘charity model’ underpinned by pity. It does appear thankfully that there is a real move to disability positive thinking and community organising. Although, I have no doubt that this shift is not universally experience.