Disability Studies Relfections

chris | they/them Hello!! I am a 2nd year student majoring in Social Work and minoring in Women Gender & Sexuality Studies. For my Women & Disability course my final project is to create a social media commentary. This blog will act as a way for me to reflect on the material we cover during this course.

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Definitions:

The Medical Model of Disability- Sees that something is “wrong” with the person’s mind or body and it needs correcting/a cure, views the individual as the problem

The Social Model of Disability- Focuses on social barriers such as environment, discriminaation and prejudices, though this model has received criticism for being oversimplified.

**why do we limit ourselves to these models?

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“Alison Lapper Pregnant” by Dr. Janis Lomas

The Alison Lapper sculpture is a significant piece and example of Disability Arts. This sculpture publicly displayed both motherhood and disability, and it embodied disabled women becoming more visible. It also caused an uproar as many people thought it was inappropriate. Disabled women as seen as inappropriate and unfit for motherhood as they are viewed as sexually immature and are victimized by society. Disabled people are often praised just for existing which is dehumanizing.

References:

Law, D. (2019). Alison Lapper Pregnant by Dr. Janis Lomas. https://womenshistorynetwork.org/alison-lapper-pregnant-by-dr-janis-lomas/

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“we need to question the structures that marginalize us” (Montufar, 2017, 1:45-1:50)

I found this quote from Montufar to be significant in the context of social justice. We are taught from a young age to listen to authorities, and those who deem themselves professionals. We are taught to be submissive in and unfair society and to not use our voices to speak out when we are marginalized and oppressed. If we want to make social change we need to challenge our current governments and laws that systemically oppress us.

References:

Montufar, O. (2017) Intersectionality of Gender, Disability, and Indigenous Identity. Presentation given at the 61st Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, New York City, NY

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The Wounded Deer (1946)

Out of Frida Kahlo’s paintings this one stood out to me the most. While many people have debated over the true meaning of this painting to me it conveys the pain and helplessness of not being able to control your life.

References:

Richman-Abdou, K. (2019). Art History: The Stories and Symbolism Behind 5 of Frida Kahlo's Most Well-Known Paintings. https://mymodernmet.com/frida-kahlo-paintings/

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Here are a few of Frida Kahlo’s famous paintings:

Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird (1940)

The Two Fridas (1939)

The Broken Column (1944)

References:

Richman-Abdou, K. (2019). Art History: The Stories and Symbolism Behind 5 of Frida Kahlo's Most Well-Known Paintings. https://mymodernmet.com/frida-kahlo-paintings/

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Frida Kahlo was a symbol for many queer women of color (Mingus, 2013). Her art work was the start of Disability Art. She used her art the capture her inner pain and experiences as a disabled woman of color.

Reference:

Mingus, M. (2010). Reflecting on Frida Kahlo's birthday and the importance of recognizing ourselves for (in) each other. Leaving Evidence. https://leavingevidence.wordpress.com/2010/07/06/reflecting-on-frida-kahlo%E2%80%99s-birthday-and-the-importance-of-recognizing-ourselves-for-in-each-other/.

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Here is an excerpt from ‘Gimp’ (2008) that uses both disabled and able-bodies dancers to explore and challenge assumptions about the body

Reference:

R. Move., & D. Robin. (Producers), R. Move. (Director) & L. Bufano. (Performer). (2008). Gimp - The Documentary. [Motion picture]. United States: Move-it! Productions.

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Embodiment is defined as how our societal and cultural ideals surrounding gender, race, disability, or sexuality influence how/how we want others to perceive us

Identity is a number of qualities, beliefs, and self expressions that reflect how we view ourselves in the world

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9/10~ Feminist Disability Studies

This week we covered the intersection of feminist and disability studies. Feminist Disability Studies brings the social aspect of Disability Studies (disability is characterized by discrimination and oppression) and the highlights of “female” differences from Feminist Studies together. This brings awareness to the way female and disabled bodies are marginalized and face discrimination on intersectioning levels. Female and disabled bodies are both viewed as inferior and “expendable”. This leads into the conversation of intersectionality.

Intersectionality is a framework for understanding how someone’s identities intersect and lead to discrimination/oppression or privilege

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Here is a link to a Ted Talk discussing brave spaces:

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9/2~ Brave Spaces

The key topic I took away from this week’s lesson was the differences between safe spaces and “brave spaces” ( Arao & Clemens, 2013). Before this lesson I had never heard of the term brave space before. In all my previous social justice or advocacy course only safe spaces were mentioned. I had never previously questions in safe spaces were enough. While safe spaces are crucial they are not enough when it comes to social justice. Safe spaces are meant for comfort, while brave spaces are meant to be uncomfortable and challenging. We want to prompt deep and meaningful discussions in a brave space. We want to encourage risks and forming opinions when it comes to social justice.

Reference:

Arao, B., & Clemens, K. (2013). From Safe Spaces to Brave Spaces A New Way to Frame Dialogue Around Diversity and Social Justice. The Art of Effective Facilitation, 135-150. https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/inclusive-teaching-2/wp-content/uploads/sites/732/2016/06/From-Safe-Spaces-to-Brave-Spaces.pdf