The Disability Arts Movement

By Nelson Tang

Art is simply more than just something that is for entertainment purposes. It has grown  beyond that and holds great power and meaning depending on how it is applied. Art has the power to transform, inspire, unite, and connect everyone together. Through art, we can learn, explore, and come to understand the different histories, cultures, and opinions of others. Art is subjective and the meaning may vary from one individual to the next. That is perhaps the beauty of art as it leaves the work open to interpretation. Another power that art has on our society to bring about change whether it be political or social. This article will be going over the relationship between the disabled community and art and how art was used to bring advocacy and awareness to the wider community.

What is the Disability Arts Movement and when did it begin? It began during the late 1970s when there was major change occurring all around the world. Such events included The Civil Rights Movement, The Vietnam War, counterculture, anticapitalism, and the Cold War. The world erupted with protests and activism around these historical events demanding an end to all of the injustices taking place. The Disability Arts Movement consisted of activists, artists and creatives from different fields who championed the civil rights of disabled people and fought against their marginalization in the arts and culture. It is considered as one of the most important milestones in UK activism. It paid off in 1995 with legislation that banned discrimination of disabled people in connection with employment, the provision of goods, facilities and services.  It would later be replaced by another piece of legislation in 2010 known as the Equality Act. The National Disability Arts Collection and Archive came out of the Disability Arts Movement and seeks to use the power of art to achieve social change [2]. This movement would just be one of many others that also took place throughout the world advocating for those who live with disability, whether it be mental or physical. 

It seems that it wasn't until the second half of the twentieth century where society took notice of disabled people expressing their creativity in the culture arts, whether it be painting, sculpture, literature, poetry, music, theater, or dance. However, the history behind this is much older dating back to ancient Greece and Rome. There are accounts and evidence of people with impairments taking part in the culture and arts during those times. The question is what makes the movements during the 1970s so radical or significant for disability activism, art, culture, and politics compared to previous periods. To begin, what is disability culture? Disability culture is considered as a subculture as it pertains to a smaller population who are part of it whereas pop culture is more of in general. Disability culture came out of and is associated with the international disabled people's movement reflecting the value and norms of disability activists. The culture seeks to redefine disability by disabled people and their organizations. Another term for this is “the social model of disability”, which is the radical socio/political interpretation of disability. This all began in 1974 following political activity amongst the disabled community in the past decade. It was a critique of ‘able-bodied’ society and orthodox individual medical interpretations of disability that was transformed by Britain’s Union of the Physically Impaired Against Segregation, or UPIAS. This group saw disabled people as an oppressed group in society and stated “The disadvantage or restriction of activity caused by a contemporary social organization which takes no or little account of people who have physical impairments and thus excludes them from participation in the mainstream of social activities.” In other words, this highlights discrimination as people with disabilities are left out simply for their conditions [1]. 

Aside from the political arena, arts was another way for the disabled community to communicate and express themselves. Traditionally, it was done through paternalism or having art as a form of therapy, but this hindered individualism and creativity. Disability arts is about communication and is best explained where “Disability arts... provides a context in which disabled people can get together, enjoy themselves and think in some way about issues of common concern. But it goes deeper than that, as disability culture really does offer people a key to the basic process of identifying as a disabled person, because culture and identity are closely linked concepts.” Disability art is meant to expose the disabling imagery and processes of society. Another way of explaining this is that “Arts practice should also be viewed as much as a tool for change as attending meetings about orange badge provision ... Only by ensuring an integrated role for disability arts and culture in the struggle can we develop the vision to challenge narrow thinking, elitism and dependency on others for our emancipation. To encourage the growth of a disability culture is no less than to begin the radical task of transforming ourselves from passive and dependent beings into active and creative agents for social change.” Moreover, disability arts is an experience and activity that can be educative, transformative, expressive, emotionally exploratory, participative, or involving [1]. Through these forms of expression comes freedom and finding meaning and identity.

What are some examples of disability arts and how has it evolved over the years? What kind of art form, style, platform, or medium are being used by disabled artists or allies of the movement? One such example is the Theater of the Deaf and “Deafness, Poetry, and Sign Language Poems”which was a reading with David Wright and Dorothy Miles in 1982. It brought together two deaf poets coming from different traditions and cultures. Another important example is “Disability Aesthetics” by Tobin Siebers in 2010, which called out the disabled were omitted from the canon and literatures of art history. “What Can a Body Do?”, which was curated by Amanda Cachia, built upon Disability Aesthetics by exploring it featuring disabled artists and set the standard for disability-justice-informed curation. The ADA Anniversary Performances at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 2015 are another example featuring artists with disabilities [3]. All of these examples were effective in dispelling stereotypes and creating a better understanding.

What is the current state of disability arts and where is it headed? Art has continued to play an integral role in disability justice throughout the United States over the past decade or so. It is conveyed through things such as memoirs, paintings and drawings, sculptures, installations, videos, and live performances, and in venues ranging from small galleries to movie theaters to professional sports arenas. Through the perspectives into the daily life of disabled artists and the disabled community, ableism can be defeated with persistence. There has already been a shift in culture and society in the right direction and the efforts must continue. It can be seen in other fields as well such as with Hollywood where nondisabled actors would play disabled characters such as Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump to films that featured disabled actors playing disabled characters such as in Champions or The Peanut Butter Falcon. The most effective way in communication is through the first hand narrative where people get to see the point of view of someone living with disability. This helps in showing that these individuals are not limited because of their impairment, but rather there is potential, creativity, and new possibilities [4]. Differences should be embraced and celebrated rather than being ashamed or looked down upon because of it. It is through the use of arts where everyone can come together and learn to understand one another.

References:

[1].“Effecting Change; Disability, Culture and Art,” disability-studies.leeds.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/library/Barnes-Effecting-Change.pdf. 

[2]. Shapearts. “Reflections on the Disability Arts Movement.” Shape Arts, 1 July 2022, www.shapearts.org.uk/blog/reflections-on-the-disability-arts-movement

[3]. Watlington, Emily. “Disability Culture so Far: A Movement in Milestones.” ARTnews.Com, 20 Oct. 2022, www.artnews.com/list/art-in-america/features/disability-culture-milestones-1234642589/still-life-new-museum/

[4]. Watlington, Emily. “Nothing about Us without Us: Disability Arts Now.” ARTnews.Com, 19 Oct. 2022, www.artnews.com/art-in-america/features/disability-arts-now-1234642326/