Confronting the Whitewashing Of Disability: Interview with #DisabilityTooWhite Creator Vilissa Thompson
Previous to reading this article I was not aware of the lack of representation of people of colour in the disabled community. I was surprised to learn that many black actors playing disabled roles were often able bodied.
Reading this article left me thinking about how little space there is for the representation of disabled people of colour in the media and it helped to give me an insight into what it must feel like to be a disable person of colour. As an allie I must give space and listen to disabled people of colour to speak about their experiences and speak up when I see things are no ok.
I have a long way to go with this but I am keen to acknowledge my own faults and improve.
Deaf-accessibility for spoonies: lessons from touring Eve and Mary Are Having Coffee while chronically ill
Khairani Barokka (Okka) 2017
In Khairani Barakkas production she made visual reference/diagram of the pain she was in whilst performing. 98% of the time she refused to stand on stage as it caused her pain, a simple and powerful image.
“I wanted to make an ‘invisible disability’ visible, through refusing to stand up to perform, and through the paint’s visualisation of my pain”
Barokka put methods in place to ensure people with a range of disabilities could participate in and enjoy the performance. Taking on the responsibility of access alongside the performance added to Barokkas pain. It was unfair Barokka had to sacrifice her body too perform. This is unsustainable position and puts her at disadvantage against an able bodied artist.
She also felt she had not received the proper healthcare and support for her pain because she is a female person of colour. I was particularly struck by this, it made me reflect on my own difficult experiences of UK healthcare through a different lens.
UAL Disability website
I have directed many students to this space in the past, I find it to use clear and accessible language. I thought the ‘Social Model of Disability’ video was engaging and inclusive. Many of my students are dyslexic, this page is often their first contact for UAL disability services so I would like to see this included in the Big Welcome event and other yearly introductions to the course.
I found your blog thought provoking, it made me think of my own positionality. You commented about Khairani Barokke’s negative experience of UK Healthcare and not receiving the proper support and reflected that you have had your own difficult experiences of UK healthcare. This is in contrast to my personal experience which has always been very positive. I am a white English woman and in my ignorance, I have never considered that healthcare treatment in this country, would differ due to discrimination. It is saddening to think that someone in medical need would feel unheard. My privilege is something that I need to be more conscious of in future so that I can be aware of the difference that I see around me. As you state in your blog, I am also “keen to acknowledge my own faults and improve”.
Hi Leah,
I really enjoyed reading your thoughts regarding these resources!
It made me consider the ‘Deaf-accessibility for spoonies’ and artists with disabilities in a different way. It was disheartening to learn that Barokka had to experience a lot of pain to be able to deliver the work that she was doing. As you rightly mentioned, this “puts her at disadvantage against an able bodied artist.” Her article forces us to acknowledge her intersecting identities (being Indonesian, female and disabled), her access to health care and navigating the creative industry.
This made me think about UAL’s disability website and the help it offers for students navigating through Higher Education – Does it acknowledge the barriers experienced by students who are of colour AND have disabilities?
Hi Leah,
I connected in your responses to Vilissa Thompson’s interview :#DisabilityTooWhite
This too left me wanting to find out more and raise my own awareness of the intersects of individuals who have these crossovers of Identities that are protected or supported, for example in the context of higher Education. I came across this very interesting video with Keri Gray, in the video she provide further context/explanation, discussing how a ‘intersectionality framework is key to true inclusion.
“The reality is, is that you have people like myself, who are black, disabled, and women, and so many other things. And when you live at the intersections of all three of those, then you can’t split your political and social dynamics between these different groups. It doesn’t produce real results of freedom and it doesn’t produce real results of access to employment and other opportunities that you’re looking for.”
I noted how Safia observed UAL disability services not acknowledging these kind of intersections for people of colour with disabilities. its clear theres lots of space and room for things to be developed further and to build access around differences beyond these individualistic /isolated view.
Reference:
Ford Foundation (2020). Intersectionality & Disability, ft Keri Gray, the Keri Gray Group #DisabilityDemandsJustice. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2XN0CQazr0.