Addressing Access Issues

A day in the like of an artist

The first access issue I face each day is . . . How do I get from A to B?  As well as living with Cerebral Palsy, I have epilepsy, meaning I can't just jump in the car and pop to the art shop for supplies. The typical day means a support worker arrives about 8 am to assist me to get ready for the day, whatever that may hold.

Like everyone else their is more to life than creating art. My disabilities mean squeezing in medical appointments, between art class, working on social media marketing, coffee with my neighbour, networking, grant writing, the accounts, paying the bills and juggling all this around four support services and sixteen workers. No sweet!

And most days I do this with my head held high. Its been a BIG year, with my first solo exhibition, traveling interstate with my artwork, and more and more artwork selling.  Sadly ArtISabilty has had a few bumps, but we're still out their making noises, with two events to finish off 2016!

I am still deeply passionate about increasing the participation of people with disabilities in Ipswich.  As an artist one thing I do well is shine!  By exhibiting and selling my artwork, I am saying disability doesn't need to be a barrier to employment, achievement and even assisting others.

However accessing the community even for me remains a challenge.  The major challenge sadly is dealing with social acceptance and building an inclusive community. I am realising the key to Improving all access issues, is challenging social norms.  It's not the norm for people living with disabilities to work; its not the norm of people with disability to be in management roles. its not the norm for people with disabilities to access the community independently...

Well hello! Your finally realising I not normal and I don't want to conform to social norms.  Yet daily society reminds me or the norms, where's your carer.  It takes energy and courage to navigate foot paths, traffic, building and toilets.  I try not to focus on what happens if I have a seizure.  With my seizures ones again unstable I am limit to accessing the community with others.

ErrrrH! this means using a telephone with a communication disorder, explain yes I am very aware I have a disability, but I am the manager, no my cat can't talk and I the only on here.  I'll call you back . . . Well be sure that company isn't going to provide a quote. Dealing with access issues doesn't allow you to submit grants late while you wait for quotes.

I smile and feel a wonderful sense of achievement despite the daily deconstruction of barriers eventual I achieve my goals. I am relicant and resourceful.

 However the artists I work with are still struggling with the traffic, footpaths and toilet doors the can't open. Lack of affordable transport options still lock them out for the community and some remain voiceless.

You can assist me to address the many access issues in Ipswich by purchasing Christmas designed by the artists I work with. These can be purchase through my online shop.

Community Access

Yesterday I was able to participate in our Arts Connect Pop-up Art Gallery thanks to a portable ramp. An accessible toilet was not so easy, I found one closed for maintenance. However access is more than ramps and toilets. With the National Disability Insurance Scheme being rolled out, with community participation being at its centre piece, what we thought through all the access issues that need addressing?

What is access? Access is the removal of any barriers that present for a person living with disability to enable them to fully participate in a community activity. This can be physical, environmental - lighting and sound both effect my seizure activity, temperature can be a issue for others.  However nothing delivers a barrier as strong as the social norms that govern a community.

Ask any parent of a child with ASD what the multiple access barriers are for them to attend a movie or go out to dinner. The Australian government in its wisdom is support people to participate in the community through the National Disability Insurance Scheme, however given little thought to how to foster the inclusion of people living with disabilities into mainstream community life.

We need to become much more proactive about raising the awareness to the truths about disabilities and dispelling the myths. In the wider community their is little know about disabilities and most of what is known are myths.

A very common myth is that people with intellectual disabilities can not learn not can they read or write.  People with all intellectual abilities have some ability to learn and most a confident in personal grooming.  Many are about to write and sign their name on non legal documents.

Given the correct support many people with learning disabilities and mild intellectual disabilities are very capable of living independently in the community either in their own home or with others.  There should be no reason why people with disabilities are living segregate lives.

Another misconception is the "blind" people or those who are visually impaired see total blackness.  My people with visual impairment can see shades of grey and outline of objects.  The access issues for these people are lack of appropriate lighting, trip harasses and non acceptance of working dogs. 

All working dogs including guide dogs are toilet trained.  There are unlike to soil a car, there is more likelihood that a taxi will be soiled by a drunk person vomiting that a working dog using the car seat as a toilet.  Working dogs are not pets, and shouldn't be patter while working, this will undermine the authority of its master.

Just like yourself a person living with disability is an individual who has their own talents to contribute to our community. Disability can affect people in many different ways.  Two people could have a stoke in the same area of the brain and yet have to very different prognoses.  Other factors often determine the disability level of a person this may include, family ancestry, genetically influences,  other health issues, environmental, family values, age and many more.  

The more we can encourage and embrace people living with disabilities to participate in community life, the more understanding can be shared.  There is much as an arts worker, I don't know about many disabilities, I like everybody else am learning on the job.  Mostly I have learnt not to assume anything, even information passed on to me has been incorrect.

Community Access is an issue that the whole community faces, as we embrace the changes in pathways under the National Disability Insurance Scheme.   Lets keep in on the agenda.

Dirvesity in Creative Communities

Embracing Diversity

My leadership goal is simple . . . I want to change the world one person at a time.  I often feel like a lone individual fighting for real social change in my local community. A community that tells me it doesn't exist.

Have a told you how much I love a challenge?  What makes a community, is the people who link together.  The are a small group of Ipswich artist doing this already, their mission is to promote local artists to create awareness of the artistic talent in the region. Others are looking for "a home"  - A physical space to create, to teach and sell art. Their vision is  to create or 'recreate' a arts prestinict the heart of Ipswich!

Something the Ipswich Art Society and Arts Connect have been attempting to do for a number of years.  Their are other fringe groups seeking to do likewise  like Ipswich Inspirations. A physical space has not worked in the past so how it going to work this time.

Let me be honest here, I have a real problem with physical spaces in terms of my social inclusion planning.

While some access issues as easily over come,  accessible building is not just about entrances and accessible toilets. The layout of many buildings are a logistical  nightmare as anyone who has travelled with me. 

I feel a building can create exclusion to others outside our creative group.  It saids "this is our place" we're we belong is that our aim.  Note I have the same issues with many churches, waiting for people to come to us and fitting in with our way.

What is need and what creates real sustainable change is rethinking and reinventing the way we create communities. For me that is about creating a network of minds that think a like. Unless a group of people have a 'shared vision' a sense of community can not be obtained.  A 'shared vision' is much more than an agreed end goal, its about sharing the same processes in order to achieved the outcome that has been agreed upon.

This is certainly my experience with ArtISability, sure we put art work on the wall, sure our artist sold work, sure we established a brand and sure we made connections. However in the end 'our brand' was what others wanted us to be.  Our artists were still seen as "different" or "special" and the Ipswich arts community and CBD remain inaccessible to most artists in our program.

 Social inclusion involves an acknowledgement that all members of the group are of equal importance, regardless of where they finding themselves in their artistic careers. I have given up on 'what is good art?' and guessing 'which pieces will sell at exhibition.  I like to tell my students that the magic key to sales, is finding the right person, with the right space to hang your artwork and falls in love with your work. What I or an art critic then thinks is irrelevant.

As Ipswich artists Judith Baker puts it once my artwork is hanging on the gallery wall, my disability becomes invisible.  It is not my or anybody's else's to decide if artwork is saleable and what the price should be.  That is the job of the artist and the nature of their disability is irrelevant and this is what I want my art community to see.

Artwork by artists living with disabilities needs to be held in the very same regard as anyone else in the community.  What I consider to be of artistic appeal will be different.  It is that 'diversity' I am seeking the Ipswich Arts Community to embrace. Not by any means a lower standard of work.

"Cultural Diversity"

"seen in the style and colour combination of the work"

It is my wish, that artists could resist focusing on the physical and start embracing the common thread that drives us to create. Then we will be the Ipswich community come into bloom!