Film by Christine Sun Kim
The video shows a powerful reflection on how sounds can be perceived differently, and interestingly brings the point of ownership of sound and noise. Most of times we don’t stop to ask ourselves what is normal and how those rules are made. Who defines the correct and comfortable amount of noise from a city, a school? Who defines what is acceptable in terms of music or sound disturbance?
Another point that I took from the video and the artists’ work is the idea of sound being felt instead of heard is something that stuck to me.
‘Deaf Accessibility for Spoonies: Lessons from Touring Eve and Mary are Having a Coffee’ by Khairani Barokka
The author described the pain and suffering they went through while touring a show aiming at bringing visibility to their struggles. Even in spaces that are open to include the conversation and institutions that want to champion those voices are still failing the people who need support and adjustments. It includes some powerful statements and reflections on what they call “the empathy gap” and the lack of visibility of certain struggles.
#DisabilityTooWhite interview with Vilissa Thompson
Vilissa Thompson discusses how even within the circles that discuss disability and minorities, there is a lack of representation of people of colour. Minorities communities are either missing the inclusion of disability issues or racial concerns. The author raises the point of lack of representation and the struggle they face in seeing themselves and therefore connecting with their different identities.
My context and reflections:
I haven’t experienced yet a challenge with disability in my workshop, neither was required to make changes or amendments. However, I do now reflect on what we consider normal and that is not very inclusive. We already see as having to adjust to someone’s disabilities as something OUT of the normal, an extra. With this we are already creating a divide, making the student feel that they are being treated different and a nuisance, perhaps? I can speak for their feelings because I haven’t been in that position myself, but I can only imagine that the fuss might not be helpful.
Being treated differently makes you feel you are not normal, but what is normal after all? How we plan our spaces and assume abilities might be making students feel disengaged and othered. Should it be up to them to request modifications and educate us on that?
“notion of disabled as the opposite of ‘enabled’ rather than ‘unable’” Barokka K., 2017
Awareness is important but what is the next step? Do we see and build our society as a collective of all its participants or as only a portion of “able” people plus the others? It is something very uncomfortable to write and even think, but I do see our society nowadays as excluding by default but decorated with some powerful quotes about inclusivity of people we keep hidden away due to lack of opportunities, voice, and appropriate spaces. Arts, architecture, and entertainment is made aiming only the “default” participants that are not a reflection of the real pool of people and experiences around.
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
https://vimeo.com/31083172
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/confronting-the-whitewash_b_10574994?guccounter=1
- Comments can be found on: https://tillypgcert.myblog.arts.ac.uk/2023/05/10/disability/
- Comments can be found on: https://elenipapazoglou.myblog.arts.ac.uk/2023/04/17/disability/
- Comments can be found on: https://relearning.myblog.arts.ac.uk/2023/05/17/the-different-ways-of-being-in-the-world/