Resource 1 is a video of a female who works within the creative industry, but lives with an invisible impairment. Kim’s practice is in visual arts despite being blind. She interprets her creative visual work through sound in an unconventional way. She uses vibrations and unorthodox materials such as paints and beans. She interprets her work through sign language and subtitles which enable viewers to experience sound from her perspective, sharing her disability of being deaf through her practice. This mode of artistic creation is recognised as “Sound Art” (Masterclass 2021) which is “a hybrid art form that bridges visual art and experimental music”. Audio art in Europe dates to the 20th twentieth century and is also recognised as sound poetry and sound sculpture.
It is difficult for me to place myself within the context of Kim to imagine how this creative work is crafted because of my hearing ability. However, through pedagogy considerations, this video encourages me to deliberate about how sound operates within a social context and who has the privilege of a greater audience. Opening dialogues and ideation about the importance of visual interpretations of sound (or even information) for learning and creativity is very important in creative higher education.
#DisabilityTooWhite, written by a disabled female of colour, addresses the relationship between ableism and racism working in tandem to sustain and create isolation and exclusion of those who identify as disabled and of colour. The article brings into focus that disabled people of colour are not represented within media and are therefore prejudiced based on both forms of discrimination: race and ableism. According to the World Institution on Disability, black historical figures have been denied the identification of being black and disabled, so erased from history. This is an injustice, as intersectionality represents the experience of marginalised individuals, confronted by not just by race, but ableism too.
Positionally, I can relate to two of the points of prejudice: being female and being black, due to my intersectionality. Decolonisation of curriculum could have a positive impact on people of colour who have such impairments and coupled discrimination. In my practice opening dialogues on the complexity of identities and frameworks can be used to accommodate differences in learning and creativity.
Social anxiety article in SoN publication Inclusive Practice highlights the symptoms of the mental disorder, how it is stigmatised within society and what difficulties individuals who have this condition experience during personal and professional interactions. It also impacts the inclusivity of educational and personal outcomes.
According to NHS UK, social anxiety is also recognised as social phobia; it is categorised as a mental health condition. In 2021 a BBC report acknowledged that government figures indicated that Black women are more likely to experience common mental health problems, like anxiety and depression, in contrast to their white female counterparts.
I can place myself within this space, as I have lived with anxiety since my teenage years. My intersectional traits enable me to relate to the injustices and ignorance towards the condition, as a female and a person of colour.
My reflections
These articles and resources highlight the ways in which education can support an individual who lives with disabilities and how teaching platforms can be utilised to educate individuals and provide support. There are no frameworks that directly scaffold every disability, however, I often utilise my own experiences and UAL Disability Services to create opportunities to sustain positive mental health within my practice and address obstacles presented in learning. Invisible impairments can be difficult to identify who and when students may need this support, so I counteract this absence of information by openly providing weekly slots for safer spaces, for all students to speak with me in 121s, or for a private consultation.
References:
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/sound-art-guide, July 2021
Neuhaus, M. (2000). Introduction to the exhibition “Volume: Bed of Sound”, P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, New York.
https://www.allfie.org.uk/ accessed 15/05/2023
https://wid.org/why-black-disabled-history-matters/ accessed 15/05/2023
Grech, S. (2015). Decolonising Eurocentric disability studies: why colonialism matters in the disability and global South debate, Social Identities, 21:1, 6-21
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/social-anxiety/ accessed 19/05/2023 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-56765171 accessed 19/05/2023
I have also found that creating safe spaces such as 1-2-1/pastoral tutorials helps identifying which students who might need help, and to signpost them to UAL services such as the UAL Disability services for further support. I’ve been trying to also be more mindful of invisible disabilities and how I can ensure I design sessions and resources that are inclusive to those with invisible disabilities, as I know not all students will be comfortable to share their disabilities or discuss their mental health, even in safer settings such as pastoral tutorials. In a discussion in the last IP session someone mentioned they found that in Y1 students are often reluctant to share their conditions, and that as the years progressed the students felt more comfortable sharing, and this has also been my experience. Speaking to students in final year I often hear them talking about how in Y1 they were trying hard to impress their peers and fit in, and I think this might impact their willingness to share any mental health issues or hidden disabilities for a fear of not fitting in. While I have noticed a change starting to take place in recent years, with Y1 students more and more willing to openly share with us, and I think this is in part a generational shift, speaking from students and reading their CSS feedback I do think this is also related to the fact they feel like they are in a safe space, and that their tutors know them and care about them.
I agree with your point with regards to safe spaces: the importance of knowing and caring is ample.
Some great points Michele! I really like the way you said that in your practice you, “open dialogues on the complexity of identities.” I think this is so important because identity is complex and can affect so many aspects of the student experience. Like you, I draw on my own experiences and rely on the information available via UAL channels but I do think that it can be hard for students to relate when they are speaking to someone who does not reflect their characteristics (e.g. me: white and non-disabled). I also appreciate that you said that “there are no frameworks that directly scaffold every disability.” That’s true, and it goes back to your point about complexity: we can’t rely on there being some kind of framework or rulebook to use when we are faced with a student with complex needs or multiple characteristics that mean they are disadvantaged in different ways. I think compassion is really important and time too; it’s great that you can offer individual sessions to students, I bet you are really good at supporting them 🙂
Thank you for your comments. Really appreciate your reflections!
Hello Michele,
I too watched the video of Christine Sum Kimand thought that she was Inspirational, her work, her ideas, her courage. I went on to watch her Ted Talk about American sign Language -ASL, and its relationship to music, and the importance of sound. I think she is amazing! If you want to watch it, you can find it here: https://www.ted.com/talks/christine_sun_kim_the_enchanting_music_of_sign_language
I was also interested in what you said about social anxiety, it is a term I had not heard before, but is one that I too can relate to. It seems I am not just painfully shy or socially inept! It makes me wonder how accurate any of the statistics are, when there are bound to be others out there who suffer these symptoms too and have never sought help. Students that struggle to fit in, find it difficult to talk to people and share their experiences. It makes what is already a difficult time, leaving home, starting a new life at university so much harder. I have a friend whose son had a terrible time at university for similar reasons to these, and it was awful for him. I know that we have help in place, but I wonder is it enough? Which brings me back to safeguarding again, as his story could have ended very differently.