In Ade Adepitan’s 2020 interview, he emphasised how societal barriers disable individuals and enforce segregation. He states “People become disabled as society won’t allow them to shine” and that disabled people are “segregated by design”. Drawing parallels to Rosa Parks’ bus boycott, Adepitan highlighted the intersection of systemic racism and Mike Oliver’s 1983 Social Model of Disability perpetuating inequality. Anticipatory adjustments, rather than reactive measures, are crucial to prevent such barriers. Adepitan faces socio-economic burdens due to his disability, such as higher healthcare costs exacerbating oppression and mental health issues. Having the financial strain of being disabled can cause people to overwork to make ends meet which can add to stress and other mental health issues.
The interviews underscored structural inequality and institutional biases marginalising disabled individuals. Adepitan advocated for leveraging platforms like the Paralympics to showcase potential with proper support. Adepitan shares that society needs to “look at the Paralympics to see how people can excel in the correct circumstances with the right equipment and training”. Inclusive design solutions, such as incorporating ramps and quiet spaces, were proposed to create accessible environments. Christine Sun Kim’s insight in “Friends and Strangers” emphasised societal responsibility in combating discrimination, rather than burdening disabled individuals with more adaptation. She stated that it’s easier for hearing people to learn to sign than it is for deaf people to learn to hear. Having more staff within UAL that know BSL would make it a far more inclusive environment.
Within the context of my teaching in the 3D workshop, efforts are made to address barriers within the social model of disability. Providing PPE like ear defenders acknowledges sensory difficulties in a loud environment. Recognising the digital barrier posed by technical software, resources tailored to different skill levels are developed. Recent investments in height-adjustable tables and stools aim to enhance accessibility within the laser-cutting space. Due to access requirements and time restraints, we are unable to introduce quiet times within the workshop. This is something I’d like to introduce going forward to make it easier for students with disabilities to learn in a challenging environment.
These initiatives align with the call for anticipatory adjustments and inclusive design advocated by Adepitan and others. By proactively addressing barriers and accommodating diverse needs, the workshop strives to create an environment where all students can thrive regardless of disability. As a technician, this can be challenging as we do not have direct access to ISA’s which allows staff to know about disabilities students may have. Also, the fact we have such a high turnover of students in the workshop from all different courses makes it difficult to anticipate the various barriers they may have. All we can do is anticipate the range of disabilities we may encounter and try and make it as inclusive as possible before any issues occur.
Thanks so much for your blog post which I enjoyed reading. I also found “People become disabled as society won’t allow them to shine” a powerful quote and has helped me view the environment around me in a new light. It is encouraging how your workshops are addressing disabilities and thinking of diverse needs and stakeholders – something which unfortunately isn’t the norm. Your point on quiet times reminds me of the Selfridges shopping quiet hour which has been really successful and a good example of helping normalise new forms of inclusivity, many which are extremely inspiring. I wonder – did you get feedback on the desire for quiet times? Sounds like you and your team are really proactive and creating a very welcoming environment. Thank you for sharing!!
Hi Nina, thanks so much for commenting. The fact we both found that quote remarkable really shows how as a society we need to look at the environment around us and not blame disabled people for the lack of accessibility. I really appreciate the example of Selfridges quiet shopping hour- I will look into this further for my intervention.
I was so inspired by the points you put forward about taking sensory needs and responding to differing learning styles within the workshops. I try to work very closely with students and technical support staff, to gain understand and respond to diverse needs. Although, as tutors we are not able to share ISA details, I do feel some level of clarity would be helpful to align support, perhaps an indication of hand-in dates at the very least. Also, as tutors, we may NOT necassarily know the details of a students disability, unless the information is shared with us by the student, we only know they have an ISA. If a students shares this, I will encourage the students to build strong communication with technical staff, to foster confidence through discussion and collaboration. Like you, I would also like to em-bed ‘quiet times’ with the MA Artefact studio, to encourage consistent studio practise for ALL students within the cohort.
Hi Georgina, thanks so much for my comment. It’s extremely helpful and encouraging to know you feel the same about support staff having a level of clarity within unstanding individuals needs. Ensuring the students build strong relationships with technical staff to allow for discussion and collboration is a great point and I really appreciate it.
Hi Jess,
I enjoyed reading your post, which reflects a thoughtful and crucial effort to address barriers within your 3D workshop while demonstrating a strong commitment to inclusivity. Providing PPE like ear defenders is a great response to sensory difficulties in a loud environment, especially for students or staff with sensory sensitivities.
Since we moved to the new building at East Bank, many of my colleagues have been complaining about the ongoing loud environment and consistently high-pitched noise. This has negatively affected their physical and mental well-being. We purchased noise-canceling headsets to address this issue, but they are not sufficient to fully protect our ears. Therefore, the idea of using ear defenders is really good.
I believe we need to continually assess and address these barriers to evolve and meet the diverse needs of all students without excluding anyone.
Hi Syahrizal, thanks so much for taking the time to read my post. I really appreciate your comments and I am sorry to hear about the loud enivronment at East Bank but it’s good to know they have taken inituative to combat this problem.