Ade Adepitan gives amazing explanation of systemic racism (youtube.com) https://youtu.be/KAsxndpgagU
Ade Adepitan sees parallels between both his race and disability, due to systemic discrimination in society. He mentioned how employers may not give jobs to the BAME community or people with disabilities, due to hidden or inbuilt prejudices.
In the video, Ade also says he only feels “disabled” due to the lack of opportunities not because he needs a wheelchair. He highlights how the Paralympics have started to change perceptions showing what people can achieve given the right opportunities.
Christine Sun Kim: “Friends and Strangers” https://youtu.be/2NpRaEDlLsI
Deaf Sound Artist Christine Sun Kim introduces herself in a talk with the following statement-
She calls it her “deaf identity and where she’s coming from”. Christine Sun Kim intersects aspects of her deafness with her work, by using the shapes of sign language, repetition, and subtitles (text) within her art. As a deaf person and artist, she’s used to collaboration, working with interpreters, and people talking on her behalf. Christine Sun Kim explains how living in Berlin has “less pressure”, the government in Germany has enabled her as a mother to focus on her work due to childcare being free, and living in the city is “affordable”.
I find Christine Sun Kim’s work inspiring as she has managed to intersect both her deafness with being a sound Artist, two contradictions.
Disability and Gender https://youtu.be/_yID8_s5tjc
Chay Brown is a trans, gay man, he believes because he’s white and has invisible disabilities, he has been given privilege within the community. Unlike some of his friends from the LGBTQ+ community who might have more visible disabilities and face daily difficulties.
(Additional note added at 13 July 2024
I just discovered UAL offer training – “Introduction to Trans Inclusion at UAL” organised as part of LCF Staff Development Week. I’m curious to find what will be discussed at the training and if this will also become obligatory like the Anti-racism online course.
Secondly, UAL also have a LGBTQ+ Allies Toolkit it contains resources for all staff to learn how to be allies to people with different LGBTQ+ identities).
Changing Perceptions
The recurring theme seems to be how society needs to change perceptions to enable all humans, as Ade Adepitan says he’s become “disabled as society has not let me shine”.
List the disability considerations in your teaching context, drawing on UAL data and your own experience.
Writing this blog has highlighted how disabling our course is to some individuals, although as lecturers we have prepared for students who have invisible disabilities such as dyslexia and dyspraxia etc- (we prepare media and visual presentations to help students retain and retrieve information pre and post-sessions) and we are supported by the Student disability unit at UAL. Unfortunately for more visible disabilities the workshops aren’t suitable for all, e.g. Sewing machines aren’t computerised or suitable for people with disabilities, pattern-cutting tables are one height, and narrow isles in the workspaces aren’t suitable for wheelchairs, the course generally is focused on learning technical making skills, this relies on having an able body. As a Technical member of the team, I’ve never been aware of a student with a physical disability on the course, and we haven’t received any training to support students with additional needs. Considering we are based on a brand new campus, it’s frustrating not more attention would have been given to making the campus (especially workshops) inclusive for all.
Below I have added the UAL Disability services’ “Guidance for inclusive teaching and learning” as I found this useful when planning my lessons.
2 responses to “23/24 Inclusive Practices – Blog Task 1 – Disability and Race”
-
Fflur, I also appreciated Christine Sun Kim’s work and her ability to bring her lived experience into her work. I appreciated your reflections on the lack of support for certain disabilities especially in terms of building/workshop capacities. It’s true that a lot of the focus is on support for dyslexia and dyspraxia but there is less conversation around other disabilities – visible or invisible. Your reflections prompted me to think about the CSM Kings Cross building and accessibility. The studios spaces—while technically accessible—are also spaces of mess and creativity which can often block access. And even something simple like finding an electrical socket is not so easy in some of the spaces as there are extension cords that hang from the ceiling and need to be accessed using a ladder. While there are resources for us to prepare and plan for inclusive teaching and learning, I find myself wondering what other ways the university can support staff in supporting our students (and each other) better.
-
Hi Fflur, Commenting here again – thanks for the post, I found Ade Adepitan’s perspective really eye opening and it drives home how systemic discrimination issues are. I also found Christine Sun Kim’s work inspiring, the way she has turned barriers into unique creative expressions by integrating her deaf identity into her sound art is brilliant. Chay Brown’s experience highlights how complex and layered these identity intersections can be.
I agree with your takeaway about changing societal perceptions. Societal attitudes contribute wildly to lack of accessibility and your reflections on your own teaching context are so important as they are for all of us. Your reflections highlight that there’s still a long way to go in making HE really inclusive, which is indeed frustrating and depressing. I do think that recognising and highlighting the gaps can be the first step to addressing them though.
-
Kayalvizhi Jayavel’s Feedback – Disability:
Hi Fflur
The way you have structured your blog and more focus on “what can be done,?” shows clearly the action-based approach. Also expressing the frustrations around things not ready as it is a new campus is very much understandable and I can connect to it myself, as new unit or new course or new campus needs time efforts and in fact to some level budget to get that all accomplished. But your suggestive approaches sharing with us the guidelines from Student Disability services for inclusive teaching and learning is a testament to there is light at end of the tunnel.
2 responses to “23/24 Inclusive Practices – Blog Task 1 – Disability and Race”
Fflur, I also appreciated Christine Sun Kim’s work and her ability to bring her lived experience into her work. I appreciated your reflections on the lack of support for certain disabilities especially in terms of building/workshop capacities. It’s true that a lot of the focus is on support for dyslexia and dyspraxia but there is less conversation around other disabilities – visible or invisible. Your reflections prompted me to think about the CSM Kings Cross building and accessibility. The studios spaces—while technically accessible—are also spaces of mess and creativity which can often block access. And even something simple like finding an electrical socket is not so easy in some of the spaces as there are extension cords that hang from the ceiling and need to be accessed using a ladder. While there are resources for us to prepare and plan for inclusive teaching and learning, I find myself wondering what other ways the university can support staff in supporting our students (and each other) better.
Hi Fflur, Commenting here again – thanks for the post, I found Ade Adepitan’s perspective really eye opening and it drives home how systemic discrimination issues are. I also found Christine Sun Kim’s work inspiring, the way she has turned barriers into unique creative expressions by integrating her deaf identity into her sound art is brilliant. Chay Brown’s experience highlights how complex and layered these identity intersections can be.
I agree with your takeaway about changing societal perceptions. Societal attitudes contribute wildly to lack of accessibility and your reflections on your own teaching context are so important as they are for all of us. Your reflections highlight that there’s still a long way to go in making HE really inclusive, which is indeed frustrating and depressing. I do think that recognising and highlighting the gaps can be the first step to addressing them though.