The UAL video introducing the social model of disability asks if people feel as if the world was not made for them. In the following series of interviews offered to us in this Unit focusing on inclusion, the participants reference how a lack of adaptation and an awareness of the impact of intersecting characteristics, in particular, creates disabilities.
Chay Brown refers to the non-verbal insider codes at play within certain male gay social spaces. He articulates the intersectional complexity of trying to decode these spaces as someone who is a) recently moving into this community as a transman and b) as someone with neuro divergent traits that may make intuitive grasp of social codes harder. Brown’s interview makes it clear how an emphasis on one protected characteristic within social justice models may end up excluding part of the community if it is not considered within a matrix of difference (Crenshaw, 1990). The word ‘community’ is transformed in Brown’s practice into something responsive and inclusive rather than something rigidly formed around one characteristic.
‘If you don’t see us we have no place to be’ (Christine Sun Kim, 2024)
Christine Sun Kim and Ade Adepitan draw attention to the intersection of visibility and ability. An absence of representation can signal a diminished value and reduced sense of belonging. UAL’s pedagogic podcast ‘Belonging’ describes this feeling as a key factor in marginalised student retention and achievement. It is noticeable that the 2023 exit stats for disabled students indicate higher overall achievement but lower retention rates: feeling as if you have a place is clearly key.
[It’s noticeable that I have just skipped from Ade Adepitan’s discussion of race to a point about disability. There are hierarchies of protected characteristics that pervade our thinking, which reflect systemic systems of oppression, and there are characteristics that are easier to talk about than others because they evoke feelings of shame and responsibility.]
‘and I think I’m just greedy too’ (Christine Sun Kim, 2024)
It is useful to think of the relationship between desire and disability. Can Christine Sun Kim take up all the space or take back all the effort and time she is owed?
Christine Sun Kim’s inclusion of her daughter in her work brings her role as a carer with her role as artist and deaf activist into the same spaces. Being a carer intersects with other challenges for many of my students, and it is positive that this is now acknowledged at UAL. However, every time an in-person meeting is called with a week’s notice, or scheduled after 5.00, then carers are discriminated against and practices like these remain common at UAL.
Over 50% of the students I teach on MA Performance: Society work with disabilities. For most, their ISA documented disabilities intersect with several other protected characteristics that are not documented. It is interesting that this intersectional approach is not formally explored within disability services. There may be issues connected to privacy that prevent this, but despite the emphasis on social models in the UAL video, practices still seem tied to a medical model of disability. I am interested in finding ways to address this.
I’m interested that you pulled out a lot of the same recurring themes as I was drawn to in the videos, particularly ‘If you don’t see us we have no place to be’ (Christine Sun Kim, 2024)
and the fact that Christine Sun Kim and Ade Adepitan draw attention to the intersection of visibility and ability.
Sun Kim’s work resonated with my positionally, especially her ambitious comment ‘Get a plane and caption the Sky!’ As a female, working class, northern designer and mother of two, I found her MIF work and approach incredibly inspiring and thought provoking. I was privileged to manage the production and installation of this exhibition in Selfridges Manchester so I found learning about her background in the films and doing a deeper dive into her intersectional background and life in both NYC, Berlin as a mother incredibly insightful.
“NYC gave her the Skills to navigate the world fearlessly” emphasised how she was forced to ‘go into the hearing world’. She said she was ‘jealous of the artists who have the privilege to be misunderstood.’ She has to explain her intersectionality because it can affect her rights and access to entertainment and family.
I hope you’ll find confidence in that fact that my recent lived experience of the UAL:LCC disability services team contradicts the statement ‘practices still seem tied to a medical model of disability’ because they do support individuals on a self certified basis and don’t always require the medical models of disability. I found their service did align with the ’emphasis on social models in the UAL video.’ I’m sure this isn’t always the case but I wanted to share a positive experience for you.
As a carer myself and also working as both a tutor and student at UAL:LCC, I was reassured to read about the paragraph you included ‘Christine Sun Kim’s inclusion of her daughter in her work brings her role as a carer with her role as artist and deaf activist into the same spaces. Being a carer intersects with other challenges for many of my students and it is positive that this is now acknowledged at UAL.’ But agree with the penultimate section of this in that ‘every time an in-person meeting is called with a week’s notice, or scheduled after 5.00, then carers are discriminated against’
Interesting to read about Chay Brown codes, I find it really true when entering different cultural spaces, where different ways of behaving and understanding each other, often very nuanced ones, are at play. And it made me think of international students trying to navigate a different culture and a different way of learning.
Is really nice to hear you reflect about how certain characteristics are more difficult to talk about, it would be interesting to hear you explore more the feelings of shame and responsibility. I think is an uncomfortable position but one that more people need to engage if we want to explore our differences from a deeper perspective that might actually have some meaningful discoveries.
I really like Christine Sun Kim, like you point out there are so many intersecting characteristic that make her such a powerful example of someone breaking barriers and fighting in a way that feels really visible and impactful.
Finally, I agree that as an institution UAL still has to put a lot of what in preaches to practice and perhaps include students who are affected more in the centre of the conversation, so they can be active participants in changing practices that affect them.
I like that you bring up that “The UAL video introducing the social model of disability asks if people feel as if the world was not made for them”, as I feel like this links in with what Ade Adepitan says about it not being a disability that disables someone, but a society that does not cater towards it – quite literally that the ‘world’ is not made for people with disabilities.
UAL’s treatment of carers definitely leaves more to be desired – there are a few positives to note, including the allowance of flexible working, however in a full time position with hours fixed to workshop open hours I have some colleagues who still struggle with the balance of work hours, nursery drop off hours and being at the mercy of public transport.
I agree with Paula that Chey Brown’s comments about navigating conversations and social codes ecoing the difficulties students (particularly international students) may face in communicating with and in styles outside of the social norm they came from, or their own abilities to interpret social situations. Since starting work at LCC I have definitely adapted the way I speak – to all students across the board not just those who may be having obvious communication difficulties, and I have found myself dropping idioms or expressions that aren’t direct in their meaning.