Disability

Finding out more about what it means to be a less abled bodied person through these three sources has given me a sense of how as an able bodied person to have empathy as a human is good, yet perhaps not always enough. On a daily basis there are many people within our working environment that we ‘see’ but yet do not ‘see’. In fact it has also meant that I have looked into my own mental health condition of PTSD and have been made aware that this is in fact categorised as a disability by UAL. Whilst this at least allows me a new voice it also raises questions when I consider mental health issues and disability for staff and students. Here are my reflections on the following articles:

Deaf-accessibility for spoonies: lessons from touring Eve and Mary Are Having Coffee while chronically ill by by Khairani Barokka (Okka)

This article adds to an awareness of the need for those of us able bodied people to firstly have empathy and secondly not to patronise a disabled person. For me in the teaching and learning space being respectful of a person’s truth and calling out a lack of respect and/or a lack of representation is something I feel strongly about.

As the artist states “social model notion of disabled as the opposite of ‘enabled’ rather than ‘unable’, a perspective I think particularly useful psychologically, for myself and I imagine other young, brown, disabled women, told in so many ways that we are not valuable, beautiful, equal.” (Barokka: 388) This brings into sharp focus how a disabled person is perceived. As she describes in her own country of Indonesia there is minimal support for pain management, even though this was accessible in other countries, this in itself is still lacking in other countries she has visited to perform. “This, in turn, leads to inability to seek out healthcare or help, as it was in my case, simply because years of asking and not receiving care had ingrained in me the presupposition that I would not, could not, receive it.” (Barokka: 391). It could no doubt be argued that this is common for many people in her position to experience ignorance and or a lack of recognition and support when as she said herself “pain hides in plain sight” (Barokka: 387).

It is more than admirable that she continued to push for her art despite the physical and psychological effects. This on top of securing funding, organising travel, securing venues as accessible and accommodating must have been exhausting whilst she managed her pain. It is also worth considering how this connects to intersectional and gender issues, she is a chronically ill woman in pain. Aren’t we woman able to manage and tolerate pain? This is where the unseen when misunderstood or assumed to be a certain way can be an extra blow psychologically.

To use this as a resource in my own teaching could be by looking at it from a skills based perspective and how this fits into the students course programme. As with all sources there are many possibilities and ways I can apply it. This text could be useful when thinking about writing a reflective statement or reading skills to summarise a text for example. Alternatively, it could also be used as a research tool to give students inspiration.

http://www.khairanibarokka.com/projects

Reference:

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

Shades of Noir: 1. A few Words from Lani Parker and 2. IN•VIS•I•BLE DIS•A•BIL•I•TY

I was initially going to choose one article from Shades of Noir to write about but then was drawn to two sections. The first is ‘A Few Words from Lani Parker’ (pp. 114 – 117). As the founder of the Sideways Times podcast she discusses the aim of the podcast ‘to connect theory and practice and contribute to a culture of culture within our movements as a collaborative space’ (Parker, 2020, p. 114). This article looks at how disability is perceived, intersectional racism and ablesim. She details how she is aware of the need to remain ‘vigilant’ as she feels she is seen ‘As a white person born with an impairment…seen as innocent, special and in need of protection’ (Parker, 2020, p. 115). This reminded me of how white people benefit through the sheer fact of the colour of skin as much as anything else. She continues with the hopeful premise that to build cultures of care; to include a better systems of care, but also self care and to embrace all black and white who are fighting for their rights and social justice. She references Villissa Thompson’s piece as ‘seeing disabled black women as a ‘whole’ and not giving up on the trope that disabled people are seen as broken’ (Parker, 2020, p. 117) The issues raised in this article are ones that resonate for me and would be worthy as lesson material opening into critical thinking skills.

The second is the poem IN•VIS•I•BLE DIS•A•BIL•I•TY (Anonymous, 2020, pp. 220 – 221). It is a touching and moving tribute to the writer’s Aunt, I feel it gives a sense of how life was for her as a disabled person as well as how it is for those who know and love that person. Simply beautiful.

I would use this poem to move into a freer creative style of lesson, to open up a session into a creative space using language. Recently I attended and presented my postcards lesson (from the micro-teach in the previous unit) for a teaching workshop sharing materials and ideas with other art based universities in London who teach EAP. Tutors and lecturers from UAL, the RCA and Goldsmiths attended. One lecturer demonstrated a lesson where text can be used to create poetry by deleting words. A text such as IN•VIS•I•BLE DIS•A•BIL•I•TY (already a poem) could be used in a similar way or for discussion.

To consider poetry for the EAP classroom with my students is an inspiring idea. Only this week I have been asked to take a class for the Foundation Plus at CCW starting in June. I will be giving support sessions based on a project by my colleague Language and Art (see link below). This is an exciting project that I have had a keen interest in, so it will be good to see how it can be used towards developing my teaching practice as well as how students respond.

https://www.arts.ac.uk/study-at-ual/language-centre/language-art-project

References:

Parker, L. (2020) ‘A few words from Lani Parker. Shades of Noir: Disabled People the voice of many (pp. 114- 117) Available at: https://shadesofnoir.org.uk/journals/disabled-people-the-voice-of-the-many (Accessed 20th April, 2023)

Anonymous (2020) Invisible Disability. Shades of Noir: Disabled the voice of many (pp. 200-201) Available at: https://shadesofnoir.org.uk/journals/disabled-people-the-voice-of-the-many (Accessed 21st April, 2023)

Christine Sun Kim

What a touching and beautiful film. Watching Christine tell her story and how this connects to her creativity was moving. Seeing that person as a whole and a creative beyond deafness although through her deafness is something that Christine highlights in this film so poignantly. It is often easy for those of us who are able bodied to be completely unaware of how life is for a deaf person and how this shapes a person’s world. We will never be able to understand this. “People who have access to sound naturally own it and have a say in it.”(Kim, 2012).

To use this film in a Language Development session could be with the focus of writing an exhibition review or when looking at the work of an artist. In particular, to think about inspiration, methods, materials and the processes artists use as well as raise awareness of deafness in the arts. I would also recommend that students look into her work especially if it is something they can relate to or find inspiring for a project or otherwise.

From my own teaching thus far; having previously taught deaf students either as part of a group or in a one to one tutorial, I have had a variety of experiences. On one occasion at LCF a BSL signer from City Lit was present, which meant I was able to consider and adapt my practice, mindful of how this would affect the class dynamic and aware of the extra support he would need. The student was from Brazil and was familiar with LIBRAS the Brazilian Sign Language system and not BSL, this presented an extra challenge. As I already ‘grade’ my language for those learning English by speaking as clearly as possible, not too fast and at a natural pace this tended on the whole to work well. He also sat near the front of the class with the signer in an appropriate position.

Despite this there was perhaps unsurprisingly frustration from the student. There was naturally a lot of processing for him meaning as he needed more time he would often ask for clarity several times . This was entirely understandable and in fact I anticipated this so would go over to his table during an activity and help him and the group he was working with. I was keen to makes sure that the group were patient and accommodating by acting as a role model in this manner. I would ask the signer if there was anything he wanted me to do that made it easier for him and offered a one-to-one as opposed to him being exposed in a group setting. I recall at times feeling out of my depth and did not receive training before teaching the student (this was in 2014). I did eventually receive training the following year and even though I didn’t teach a deaf student again for a while, it was however as a professional learning experience one which now I believe (and hope!) I would be better able to manage.

**On a side note I’ve just seen that Christine Sun Kim has an exhibition at Somerset House, which I’m going to try to get to.

https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/hyper-functional-ultra-healthy-2023/christine-sun-kim-edges-sign-language

Reference:

Kim, Christine Sun. (2012) Christine Sun Kim, A Selby Film. Available at https://vimeo.com/31083172?login=true (Downloaded: 27 April 2023).