Specific examples from the resources that illustrate the intersection of disability with other identity aspects and how these intersections impact the lived experiences of the interviewees.
Ade Adepitan’s intersecting identity as a black disabled sportsperson means he can see discrimination from multiple angles and can see the parallels between anti-racist and anti-ablist movements and experience and identity what and how movements can learn from each other
Christine Sun Kim’s intersecting identity as a deaf artist mother means she can see how infographics are able to transcend languages and cultures, the importance and benefit of collaboration and the risks and rewards of moving beyond the deaf world, where exposure to oppression is reduced but opportunities are also limited.
Chay Brown’s intersecting identity as a trans gay man with mental health difficulties means he is aware of the barrier that anxiety can add to “trying to read people’s intentions when the communication is not necessarily verbal” (ParaPride, 2023, 1:49-2:01).
Recurring themes highlighted in the interviews.
Importance of visibility:
- “it felt right that maybe this is the best way where we can shove or force our deafness or our existence or our deaf voice, and do that in their everyday lives, in their everyday space” (Art21, 2023, 11:33-11:47)
- “Scale equals visbility, and that has the ability to shape social norms” (Art21, 2023, 12:36-12:40)
- “If you don’t see us, we have no place to be” (Art21, 2023, 12:55)
- Examples of racist and ablist language experienced in the past and how the reduction of this might lead people to think the problems no longer exist but the systemic discrimination remains and is harder to point to and deal with (Paralympics GB, 2020).
Intersectionality as a bridge between different experiences and movements:
- Adepitan talking about seeing discrimination from multiple angles
- Sun Kim talking about openness to collaboration
- Brown talking about community events including everyone “if we’re not working for disabled trans people we’re not working for the trans community because we’re missing people out” (ParaPride, 2023, 8:46-8:55).
Disability considerations in my teaching context – drawing on UAL data and my own experience.
Lack of teaching space available means if I want to deliver sessions in the library I have to use space that is potentially not accessible – e.g. no captions, physical restrictions.
Lots of content I deliver is based around screens which is not accessible for any students with sight problems and the support available for this, e.g. alt text or recordings, might not be possible during live, in-person teaching.
The inconsistent availability of content in other formats – ebooks, audiobooks etc – is often confusing for students who might fairly assume that everything is available in whichever format they prefer and then disengage when they realise it is not the case. As I have limited time interacting with cohorts (and planning content) I usually cannot address this in my teaching. Additionally, often the content that is available in multiple formats is more mainstream and therefore might not support diverse perspectives which can exacerbate disengagement with the resources and support available.
Captions are required by one course I support but I interact with them infrequently which means I can forget, if this was something automatically enabled in any teaching space in the university it would remove a barrier for staff and students.
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References
Art21 (2023) Christine Sun Kim in “Friends & Strangers” – Season 11 | Art21. 1 November. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NpRaEDlLsI&t=83s (Accessed: 23 April 2025).
Paralympics GB (2020) Ade Adepitan gives amazing explanation of systemic racism. 16 October. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAsxndpgagU (Accessed: 23 April 2025).
ParaPride (2023) Intersectionality in Focus: Empowering Voices during UK Disability History Month 2023. 13 December. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yID8_s5tjc&t=15s (Accessed: 23 April 2025).
Comment left by Berni: 30.04.25
Loved reading your blog, Jess – so insightful and relatable! You’ve highlighted such an important issue about the lack of space and resources, especially with our ever-growing course numbers. I really felt your point about using library spaces that aren’t always accessible – it’s something many of us run into, as I said in the group discussion this is a big problemm in the Fashion studios, your honesty about the challenges was refreshing.
I also watched Ade Adepitan’s video and totally agree – his message about inclusive design really stuck with me. As he says, if we design with accessibility in mind from the start, “it works for everybody” – and your post really echoes that. It’s mad how often we’re trying to fix things after the fact, rather than just getting it right from the get-go!
Your idea of using more accessible formats and captions is spot on – it really is those small barriers that add up. I also loved Christine Sun Kim’s quote: “Scale equals visibility” – a reminder that representation needs to be loud and proud. You’ve really nailed the balance between thoughtful reflection and practical teaching suggestions. If only we had more time and support to implement them all!
Brilliant post, Jess – thanks for sharing such a grounded and thought-provoking read.
Thank you for your kind words Berni.
I feel like your comments really highlight something I am becoming more and more aware of: that lots of people are encountering similar problems and thinking of similar solutions but there isn’t the space or time for people to share across teams and departments and colleges so everything ends up fragmented and piecemeal which isn’t sustainable and also gives students and staff more work to do and a less joyful experience of learning and work. A joined up approach from the start would make everything so much simpler!
I strongly suspect this is much wider social issue than something unique to UAL but I am focusing on my current context!
Hey Jess, thanks for sharing! I really appreciated how you illustrated the intersectionality and the way you framed it as a bridge.
Your teaching reflections hit home, too. I once worked with a student who couldn’t physically get to the on-site measuring equipment, and no amount of “just let us know” fixed that. I guess these are systemic issues, but it signals that access is a collective, evolving practice rather than an afterthought.
I especially like the idea of making accessibility features “automatically enabled” rather than “opt-in”—it flips the mindset from accommodation to expectation and invites everyone to rethink what access really means.
Thanks for articulating these layers so clearly, Jess!
Thanks so much Jacob. I feel like this task really helps to surface all the similar experiences we are having and highlight the way that it often feels like it’s a unique issue to be solved by one team when actually it’s a systemic issue that could be prevented by better planning and design.
I completely agree with your eloquent summary of access being “a collective, evolcing practice rather than an afterthought” – maybe someone should design something with that quote to communicate it to the world…