My immediate thoughts and actions:
Society plays a significant and important role in the experiences of individuals with disabilities. There is still a lack of accessible buildings/infrastructure that disable students still encounter which make their learning and creative practices difficult to full fill. This can be viewed by some as systemic discrimination. This can limit opportunities and create obstacles and barriers. For our society, it’s important for us to design spaces that invites all types of disabilities, physical, mental and the ‘unseen’ into our buildings and all types of facilities. With inclusivity in mind. Ensuring that transport, building services are accessible to all. The intersection of disability, race and discrimination can have a powerful effect on a person life. This type of experience can come from multiple directions that society puts in the way for a person to ‘shine’.(Disability and Race Ade Adepitan -2021)
It is a difficult issue, for us as teachers to engage with and complicated at times when supporting a student needs if the disability is hidden and you are not made aware of it; like deafness, autism (not sure if autism is considered a disability but have placed references and links for further investigation and learning)..it requires creative approaches to address these problems.
For the deaf community. There are many challenges. And they must navigate them with resilience and determination in a society that can be very challenging. Visual communication is the key. Info-graphic communication can overcome Language and cultural barriers. It is important tool that can be used effectively and intend to explore as part of my teaching. (Christine Sun Kim 2023)
With reference to the video YouTube clip, ‘disability, and race’(Ade Adepitan -2021). We can see that change can be slow. And while society has progressed over the years to accommodate there is much to do. Advocating equality, challenging systematic biases-we must continue the fight for more inclusive policies and practices.
Regardless of race, creed or colour; opportunities should be available to all. As a Technical Coordinator Performance, Technical and Teaching Resources, working as Central saint Martins. It is clear that, we must be committed. The inclusivity and understanding the intersectionality of identities within the LGBTQ plus and the intersectionality of women of colour- the challenges faced by disabled individuals within the prevents people to fully participate in community events and feel safe and equal in society. (Chay Brown 2023)
The subtleties of non verbal communication and the difficulties it can pose for some individuals is also very important to be aware of. It underscores the need for greater understanding and accommodation of different communication styles within the community. To help this, there must be an emphasis on budgeting for accessibility. And to have good insights in making things accessible for those people with disability needs. As it will benefit them and everyone else. It is an important argument. To emphasize, priorities accessibility in all aspects of community planning and development.
The main out come of this blog on disability, gender, intersectionality for me is that we must work towards building ‘visibility and inclusion for all’. And to have the belief in ‘Inclusion first approach‘. must be our motto. If we are not working for all members of our community, including disabled trans people, then we’re not truly serving the community and society as a whole.
REFERENCES
Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color Author(s): Kimberle Crenshaw Source: Stanford Law Review , Jul., 1991, Vol. 43, No. 6 (Jul., 1991), pp. 1241-1299 Published by: Stanford Law Review
Citation: Thomas, Cate. 2022. Overcoming Identity Threat: Using Persona Pedagogy in Intersectionality and Inclusion Training. Social Sciences 11: 249. https://doi.org/10.3390/ socsci11060249 Academic Editor: Nigel Parton Received: 25 March 2022 Accepted: 30 May 2022 Published: 2 June 2022
(Disability and Race Ade Adepitan (-2021) web: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAsxndpgagU
Christine Sun Kim in “Friends & Strangers” (2023) web: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NpRaEDlLsI
Chay Brown Intersectionality in Focus: Empowering Voices during OK Disability History Month 2023 (2023) web: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yID8_s5tjc
What is autism?
Search for: Is autism a learning disability in NHS?
Hi Michael,
Your blog post on disability was a great read, and it prompted me to think deeply about the broad impact of societal structures on accessibility and inclusion. A lot of your thoughts speak to the ‘social model of disability’ is that something you’ve come across? I think your insights into the challenges faced by the d/Deaf community and the necessity for visual communication are compelling and highlight critical areas where we can improve inclusivity.
The example of systemic barriers like those that are unseen like autism, shows that we need to implement more robust strategies that promote understanding and integration at all levels of society. I’m curious about how you might go about implementing these changes in your role and in your educational context – are there specific strategies you’re considering in this respect?
Your ‘inclusion first approach’ really resonates with me and the work I do in my role, and ties into the Universal Design for Learning principles to ensure that we design for the margins.
Look forward to reading your future blogs for this unit Michael!
Dear Yasaman,
Thank you for your comments on my ‘Disability’ blog. Your thoughts on this are very welcomed.
The point you raised on about ‘social model of disability’ is an aspect that I have encountered around the accessibility for disabled students entering buildings (students with limited movement or are wheel chaired bound) and workshop facilities are not fully equipped to support students use of machinery and tools. Over the many years working at Central Saint Martins, these issues have been addressed, though it is an ongoing process to keep up to date with latest developments.
The unseen aspect of disability is a feature that I had not fully taken on board, and I do believe strategies must be put in place to encourage understanding and involvement at all levels in education and our communities.
I am thinking ‘Inclusion first approach’ should be one of UAL’s new motos…what do you think?
100% here for the ‘Inclusion first’ motto! Maybe we should make some t-shirts to spread the message… 😀
I agree with Michael discussing ‘systemic discrimination’ when it comes to provision for disabled students, I would extend this to all people most affected by disability, as society doesn’t start from a position of accessibility for all, rather for those who do not face health-related inequalities or discrimination based on inequality.
The Social Model of Disability relates to Michael’s point about the invisibility of different experiences of disability – making the world accessible for all should be the aim.
Michael is interested in the visual communication methods of artist Christine Sun Kim, how info graphics can be used to engage a wider group of students.
I agree with Michael when he says that change has been slow when it comes to the relationship between disability and race and that ‘we must continue the fight for more inclusive policies and practices’.
It is true that a lack of awareness of, or attention to, intersectionality and matters of accessibility ‘prevents people to fully participate in community events and feel safe and equal in society’.
Michael says that a focus on non-verbal communication, ‘underscores the need for greater understanding and accommodation of different communication styles within the community.’ It is important to see how making learning materials accessible for all, for instance, prioritises accessibility in an important way.
Dear Sidney,
Thank you for your comments on my blog on ‘Disability’. Thank you for noting the point that societies views on disability and invisibility can be based on experience and that we must be aware of this so that accessibility should be available for all.
It is frustrating that any changes to take place to support the disable-is very slow and the affects of this can be disheartening and at times detrimental to the well-being of the disable person. as always we must rely on society and politics to change its view so that all are treated fairly.
Many thanks
Michael
Hi Michael,
It would be interesting to know how many disabilities are invisible, I think the proportion could be quite high.
Awareness raising in relation to the experience of people with disabilities seems really key as you suggest.
Best wishes,
Sid
Hi Michael,
I enjoyed your post, and two areas that you connected with seem related to me. These are the info-graphic and non-verbal communication. In Fine Art Painting (Foundation) I had a deaf student who had two interpreters at all times. This situation was new to me and I was curious about the system that supported the economic cost of it. I assumed it was CSM however, I learned it was the borough who covered the cost, which I believe is available to students 18 and under. How this would effect a deaf student pursuing a BA I am unsure and it would be interesting to find out if the borough continues or if the individual covers the cost or the institution. What I learned, and also noticed Sun Kim doing on film without mentioning it, was when I was in tutorials or discussions with the deaf student I was asked to talk directly to them, not the translator, which at times was difficult as the student rarely made eye contact in our conversation as they needed to look at the translator. Sun Kim’s emphasis on movement and the inclusion of the “movement” graphic in her work resonated with me, as I noticed how necessary physical expression was when communicating with the deaf student. I wondered if when you mention info-graphics whether they could be created by deaf individuals as Sun Kim’s graphics had humour and character which others lack. Also, what is perhaps unsaid is how communicating through translators can also reduce the visibility of a deaf students personality. During a silent group crit when we used board.net I was struck by how playful and funny the deaf student was, which was a behavioural aspect not translated by the translators.
Dear Michelle,
Thank you for your comments on my ‘Faith’ blog, your thoughts on it are very helpful. I agree with you that financial support for disabilities is essential for students to progress in their education and it is important that institutes and local borough communities have systems in place to encourage this. I think both of us have been struck how Sun Kim has used her artistic craft and as powerful tool to communicate to society and make it aware of the deaf community. Graphic communication is a powerful tool in transmitting ideas and thoughts across to the deaf as well as the hearing.
Thank you for your observation on the impact of the ‘translators’ and how it can reduce the visibility of the deaf students personality. I have never though of a translator may stifle the deaf students ‘own voice’ but is is something that I will keep in mind.
Question: Is it our role to ( as hearing persons) encourage the deaf student to find their own voice to communicate without the aid of a translator?
This might be a controversial question as the ‘hearing person’ verses the ‘Deaf person’ has very complex , social and political intersections.
Hi Michael,
I feel very fortunate to have worked with differently disabled students as each time they’ve shifted my perspective of their experience in our interactions. What I liked about Taylor and Butler’s video is how Taylor makes it explicit that she has an impairment and the world around her can be disabling. It shifts responsibility from the individual to a shared responsibility of the community. This is perhaps a lengthy way to respond to your question on our role in encouraging the visibility of a deaf students voice sans translator. A hearing student with signing skills nurtured a close friendship and this evidenced to me if I had similar skills I could reach the deaf student with more ease. As teacher’s I would like opportunities to expand my skillset in areas like signing, or methods for teaching neurodiversity, however these practical training resources seem absent. There seems a gap here as one might think it is more affordable to train teachers in signing than pay for multiple translators on a daily basis.
Dear Michelle,
Totally agree with everything that you have said. External support; translators, sign language skills, are heavily dependent on college agreed financing/budgets.
Lets hope in the future that these resources will be available to support our students and staff.
Michael
I agree, I will talk to my costume team to see what the feasibility for them to be made. Why don’t we come up with a design?