I found the prospect of writing this post about disability the most difficult, even after watching the suggested material to accompany this subject. After attending the second workshop session, I began to understand why this might be:
A helpful class discussion was on knowledge; Knowledge can be either Embodied or Acquired, this was new to me. As I now understand it, from the discussions during class, Embodied knowledge is lived experience; difficult to express but highly valuable, while everyone is an expert in their own area of experience. I really appreciated this take on embodied knowledge, as a creative practitioner outside of my teaching practice, my practice is very much informed on embodied knowledge, so much so that this extends into the research that underpins my practice, including the embodied knowledge of others. Regarding acquired knowledge, I now understand this as academic, or learned knowledge. While this interests me, it does not excite me, as embodied knowledge does. It was good to know that this unit’s emphasis is on the latter.
Returning to disability, and including positionality, I now realise that my discomfort of writing about or commenting on disability arises from my complete lack of embodied knowledge in this area. I am an able bodied, white male. I have never experienced any form of disability, even temporarily.
So, on reflecting on my own positionality, and lack of embodied knowledge, I have a complete blind spot when it comes to disability. As a result, disability is probably something that I do not consider in my teaching practice as much as I should.
Anecdotally, last year a student in the year 3 cohort had an ISA in place, due to ongoing health conditions, which resulted in constant pain. I was aware of the student’s situation and of course informed the rest of the teaching team. However, on reflection, I found myself forgetting to check in at a venue in the planning stages of an off-site visit, to consider the size of the venue, to consider if regular breaks would be needed for any students with disabilities, or to consider if the site was on a first floor, that may be inaccessible. Perhaps there was an assumption that the venue had already ‘taken care’ of this, however my blind spot still remained. When watching the interview ‘Intersectionality in Focus: Empowering Voices during UK Disability History Month 2023’, Chay Brown states how even simple considerate actions such as “asking people what their access needs are” can create a more inclusive space and experience for those with disabilities.
In conclusion, I understand from the workshops, that people are disabled by barriers, and that these barriers can be environmental, attitudinal, or procedural. Therefore, to re-align my attitude to scheduling activities, I always need to consider my own blind spot regarding disability considerations, to consult with the student/s, not presume what may be required.
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Thanks for sharing this so honestly, Danny. Your reflection was really refreshing, especially your openness about recognising your own blind spot. I think it’s powerful that you’ve connected embodied knowledge to both your creative practice and your understanding of disability, and it’s a reminder of how crucial it is to stay self-aware and intentional in our teaching. The idea of simply asking students about their access needs, as you mentioned from Chay Brown’s interview, feels like such a vital and respectful step forward. Your post really highlights how inclusion isn’t about perfection, but about continued reflection and action.
Thanks for your feedback Romany, I completely agree, there’s a need for continued reflection and action. It is hard to find time for these in our different roles at UAL, this has become clear in the class discussions. But it’s vital that action is taken, and that it’s never ‘done’, or ‘finished’, regardless of the meritocracy that is UAL and it’s reliance on data that does not look at the individual’s needs.
Danny, your post expressed important insights about the privileges of able-bodiedness, which I too, experience in my daily reality. By highlighting your own blindspots and needs for re-alignment, it made me question whether I too was exemplifying the best practices (inevitably I am not, because I don’t even know if I should address the students directly about their needs). I appreciated the honesty and vulnerability in your response, particularly as you addressed the different kinds of knowledge from the acquired and the embodied. I wondered whether there were any practices you developed from your experiences so far that may now shape your teaching?
Thanks for your feedback Christin, it’s definitely a case of constantly attempting to readjust and acknowledge blind spots and privileges, in their various forms. As a course, we are working on a reflective tool to be used when planning delivery, particularly centred on EDI, this is a work in progress; the hope is that it will create a more inclusive curriculum.
I really enjoyed reading this Danny, your thoughtful approach to the topic shows a lot of reflection and awareness of your own positionality, I find your writing to be honest and open which is really refreshing to read. These writing tasks can become quite robotic when responding to the academic texts and format of the blog guide, but you have adapted the blogs response in a way that demonstrates a deep respect for lived experience, something that’s essential when thinking about inclusion and accessibility, showing your genuine investment in what we are discussing on the PgCert.
I also found the anecdote you shared about the student with an ISA and engaging with your own blind spots really helpful in reflecting on my own blind spots and students with ISA’s.
Thanks for your feedback Eleanor, I think I approach the blogs as openly as possible, as I find academic writing can have a tendency to mask vulnerability. I completely empathise about blind spot recognition, I have so many, based on my own privilege, I think it’s one of my main takeaways from this unit so far.
Thanks for your blog post Danny. I appreciated reading your reflections on embodied knowledge vs acquired knowledge, and how this affects our consciousness – what stays with us. I was deeply moved by watching the film Crip Camp, a documentary on Netflix that tells the story of a radical summer camp in the 1960s for disabled young people. For some of these young people, this was the first time they had ever met another disabled person and the camp, run by community artists and hippies, was the first ‘free’ space they had experienced where they weren’t constantly monitored by adults. In this space they were able to speak to each other about common experiences – the lack of privacy they were afforded by their adults for example, and desire to just have normal youthful experiences. This led to life long friendships, which led to them changing the world (literally!) through the radical action that they took as adults – I won’t spoil the film though. I recount this as it stayed with me, though its aquired knowledge I felt so emotional watching this film that I think it changed what I attend to. In this way, I think the arts can have a profound impact, making that acquired knowledge somehow embodied too.
Thanks for your feedback and for the film reference Hannah, I’ll certainly look into it. There’s also another Netflix documentary called ‘Deaf President Now!’ on Apple TV. It look very interesting, it’s about the world’s only deaf university. I heave’t watched it yet, but plan to. I agree with your final point on embodied knowledge. That’s the beauty of film etc, when it’s great, it can generate a sense of embodied knowledge, even if it’s just for a few minutes. CODA is another good film, while we’re on the subject of a non-visible disability such as deafness.
Ooo, thanks, these are lovely references, I look forward to watching.