During the Creative Freelancers: Shaping London’s Recovery Cohort research process into disability, both companies and researchers expressed interest in creating a “Disability Bible” — a practical guide to help arts organisations better understand accessibility and how to support disabled arts workers.
It soon became clear that producing a full Disability Bible would be a major project, needing a dedicated team and significant funding.
While this research is not a full guide, it offers an important first step, and sheds light on the experiences of working in the arts with a disability.
Six disabled arts workers were interviewed to share their experiences of working in the arts.
The following documents highlight the key themes that emerged, along with the participants’ personal reflections.
This research was created with disabled arts workers in mind, with the hope that it can help generate connection, and recognition of some of the common challenges they face.
These documents have been created to feel more like a conversation. Please feel free to skim read or look at the sections that support you.
For arts workers who are not disabled but work in Access Support, discussions on this topic can be found at the back of the last document ‘Access’. You may also be interested in other sections.
Funded by the National Lottery, with thanks to Rachel Sarah Leveney.
Chapters Covered:
- ‘The Right to Invisibility’
- Disabled Time
- Disabled Narratives
- Diagnosis
- Micro-Aggressions & ‘Polite Policing’
- Disabled Costs
- Access
Documents (Downloadable):
Please Note:
- Participants were not informed of questions in advance, but were informed of themes.
- Minimum feedback was given by interviewer, with the only input being the questions themselves.
- Interview questions focused on themes of: access experiences, access changes, awareness of narrative, awareness of other disabled workers, experiences of masking, experiences of diagnosis, experiences of discrimination, and advice.
- Participants covered a range of intersectional backgrounds and disabilities.
- Unfortunately due to the size of the project not all intersectional backgrounds and disabilities could be covered. Concerns over lack of coverage in research are: Learning Disabilities (partly covered), Visual Disabilities, and Limb Differences.
- Research was designed to support screen readers and those with dyslexia.
- If you have any problems accessing research please use contact form on the ‘About’ webpage to contact Chloe Kennedy for an altered PDF or for enquiries.
Chloe Kennedy 