IP Blog Disability
As someone who is dyslexic, it has not always been easy for me. In my early days, I had hidden this from others, and as a child most people thought I was disruptive, who could not always pay attention in class.
As neurodiversity is not always visible to us in society, how can we improve our practises to be more inclusive. Through the three videos that I had watched, it really made me stop and think that actually, disabilities are not disabilities, but society’s view of them. The environment of the university is better, but still falls short of its own goals in this respect. So improving the way we approach this in our daily lives is important.
Ade Adepitan says “If we give people opportunities to shine, the sky is the limit”. I can really relate to this during my early days as a pattern cutter. A tailor showed me how to drape and use my hands to create with so within this context I didn’t have to worry about my dyslexia, because words did not matter. I was free to just make garments.
Christine Sun Kim, who is deaf, talks about “repetition repetition repetition through the movements used in sign language”, and repetition is something, as humans we do. Sometimes we forget to look at our teaching practise and see how inclusive we are within it and how we could improve further. She uses a collaborator in her daily life as an interpreter. This is something that I should consider, a collaborator looking at my workshops and seeing if I have been inclusive or just forgotten something. Christine Sun Kim has a great network of people around her, this allows her to express herself through her artwork. This is a great demonstration of how an inclusive society can help people with disabilities to shine in the world we live in, removing our hidden biases.
Chay Brown, highlights accessibility in terms of noise and wheelchair access. Wheelchair use is something I experience as my mum needs a wheelchair when I take her out. Often many spaces are not equipped to allow mobility – I often have to figure out where toilets are in restaurants, as most of them are accessed by stairs. It’s something I must map out in my head when I’m planning on taking my mum out. The new site in Stratford has noise a issue, it’s something that students struggle with, as there are many open plan teaching spaces, the noise around us can be very distracting and effects student learning.
Looking at these three examples, it has really highlighted the many hats that teachers need to wear and consider in their daily practise. It is important that we have the right training, knowledge and environment if we are to be inclusive of neurodivergent students and colleagues.
ISA has been important to me in this process, as it allows me time to assess my work without the pressure of missing deadlines. Being dyslexic has advantages, but means that it takes longer for me to put words on paper and reading the journals listed than a reader would. For example, this blog has taken me about ten hours, including reading. I am more open about my dyslexia with my peers and students as this normalises learning difficulties and helps everyone to be more open with each other.
Reference List
Nick Webborn, ParalympicsGB President, is interviewing Ade as part of our ParalympicsGB Legends series
Paralympian, TV presenter and author Ade Adepitan breaks down how systemic racism works using the example of the experiences of disabled people in society. 16 Oct 2020
Art21 proudly presents an artist segment, featuring Christine Sun Kim, from the “Friends & Strangers” episode in the eleventh season of the “Art in the Twenty-First Century” series. “Friends & Strangers” premiered in October 2023 on PBS.
Christine Sun Kim in “Friends & Strangers” – Season 11 | Art21 (youtube.com)
UK Disability History Month 2023 with a special conversation featuring Chay Brown from @TransActual. In this insightful discussion, we delve into the complex interplay of identities, exploring the challenges, triumphs, and the path to empowerment at the intersection of disability and LGBTQ+ experiences. 13 Dec 2023
Intersectionality in Focus: Empowering Voices during UK Disability History Month 2023 – YouTube
Hi Navin,
Enjoyed reading your blog post. I relate a lot to your experience with your Mum as my Dad is disabled and it’s something that I consciously think about whenever I’m with him in terms of accessibility – where lifts are, how difficult a space is to move around in etc. and when writing my own blog post I was thinking about the difficulties of him maneuvering through the space I occupy at work and that led me to view it differently. When living with someone with a disability it really makes you conscious of the fact society isn’t set up with everyone in mind. This made me realise that I consciously think about accessibility needs depending on my environment but how do I get to a point where I’m aware of this by default?
What resonates deeply is the emphasis on redefining disabilities not as limitations inherent in individuals, but as constructs shaped by societal perceptions and environments. Ade’s quote, “If we give people opportunities to shine, the sky is the limit,” encapsulates the essence of inclusivity – it’s about providing equitable opportunities for all, regardless of their neurodiversity or physical abilities.
Hi James
Thank you for your comment. It was interested to know that you are in a similar situation as me regarding parents and having to think about accessibility when taking them out. And how do we make university life for students more accessible as they move around the building? Maybe we need to be having more conversations about this with managers and with our line managers.
Hi Navin,
I enjoyed your honest reflections on your personal experiences with dyslexia, and especially how you used examples such as pattern cutting and with wheelchair access. It helped me to try to see things from a different perspective, and be aware of my own privilege regarding disability and accessibility.
I found it really useful to hear how you are considering approaching inclusivity in your practice, especially the idea of having a collaborator and making use of our networks as staff – this is something I often forget. As you say, we are quite busy doing our teaching that we often forget to take a step back and reflect on how we can work with others who may be experiencing similar challenges around inclusivity in the classroom. If you do this, I’d be interested to hear how you approach it and how it goes!
Hi Dalia
Thank you for your comment, I think is not only about our personal privilege but more thinking about the environment, the language, the words we use in teaching practise can help us overcome many of the obstacles that students face with diverse learning needs, may it be disability, race, or gender identity.
Having other members of staff to look over our work allows us to take the hierarchy system out and be more inclusive to views and opinions. Yes, if I get the opportunity to collaborate with another member of staff, I will let you know how it goes.