DISsingthe social GGRRAAACCEEESSS - AFT

1 Introduction Who we are - conversations across disciplines DISsing the social . Overview of social GGRRAAACCEEESSS . GGRRAAACCEEESSS how disability' became ability'. What is gained (and lost) by using ability'. instead of disability'? Victoria Jones and Donna Reeve Introduction to psycho-emotional disablism Explore returning the dis' to the social GGRRAAACCEEESSS . Concluding comments AFT conference, Liverpool, 20/9/14 2. Conversations across disciplines History of the social Met as allies in a balloon debate on a course GGRRAAACCEEESSS . Donna Disabled woman Developed by John Burnham & Alison Not a family therapist (trained counsellor, Roper-Hall introduction to family therapy). 15 years disability studies ( social science) Mnemonic for aspects of difference Psycho-emotional disablism From DISGRRACCE' to social Victoria GGRRAAACCEEESSS '. Feminist . Personal vs. social GGRRAAACCEEESSS . Family therapist 25 years working for women and men with (In) visible /(un)voiced matrix learning disabilities Developed as tool, not theory AFT conference, Liverpool, 20/9/14 3 AFT conference, Liverpool, 20/9/14 4.

2 Stella Young: I'm not your social GGRRAAACCEEESSS inspiration, thank you very much Gender Culture Geography Ethnicity Stella Young is a comedian and journalist who happens to go about her day in a wheelchair . Race Education a fact that doesn't, she'd like to make clear, automatically turn her into a noble inspiration to Religion Employment all humanity. In this very funny talk, Young breaks down society's habit of turning disabled Age Sexuality people into inspiration porn.. Ability Sexual orientation Appearance Spirituality your_inspiration_thank_you_very_much Class AFT conference, Liverpool, 20/9/14 5 AFT conference, Liverpool, 20/9/14 6. 1. Models of disability Models of disability (cont'd). Impairment = medical condition, marker of social model: difference Disability caused by society which takes no/little account of the needs of people with impairments and so excludes them Disability has different meanings Her disability is caused by the university who failed to Everyday meaning: provide teaching information in Braille or on tape'.

3 Her disability is that she is blind' Breaks causal link between impairment and disability Disability = impairment Form of social oppression Individual/medical model: Affirmative model: She cannot teach because she is blind' Disability as a form of social oppression Identity incorporates impairment Impairment causes disability . Disability as tragedy/loss AFT conference, Liverpool, 20/9/14 7 AFT conference, Liverpool, 20/9/14 8. social model of disability (Crippen) Curiosity Exercise Large group What are you curious about when asked to consider: Ethnicity? sexual orientation? AFT conference, Liverpool, 20/9/14 9 AFT conference, Liverpool, 20/9/14 10. Extended social relational Curiosity Exercise (cont'd) definition of disablism 3 Small groups Disablism is a form of social oppression involving the social imposition of restrictions What are you curious about when asked of activity on people with impairments and to consider: the socially engendered undermining of their ability', psycho-emotional well-being.

4 ' (Thomas, disability' 2007: 73, my emphasis). impairment'? Disablism has structural and psycho- emotional dimensions AFT conference, Liverpool, 20/9/14 11 AFT conference, Liverpool, 20/9/14 12. 2. Indirect psycho-emotional Direct psycho-emotional disablism disablism As a consequence of structural disablism Arises from relationships with other emotional response to exclusion or people/self reasonable adjustments' Acts of invalidation from (often thoughtless). A lot of people see you want to go in, and actions/words of other people they just walk past you. Or you ask them to Anxiety caused by not knowing how the next hold the door and they just go on straight person will react to you (or not). into the premises. You know, you just Influenced by cultural representations of [pauses] how can I put it? Just feel like disability in newspapers, TV. you're not wanted. They just look, everybody just looks down [their] nose at you.

5 (Robert Media reporting of welfare reform linked to rise in disability hate crime in Reeve, 2008: 183). AFT conference, Liverpool, 20/9/14 13 AFT conference, Liverpool, 20/9/14 14. Acts of invalidation Internalised oppression They look at you and it's, 'Oh keep away Direct psycho-emotional disablism . from him' you know, it's like we've got the relationship of disabled person with plague, you know. And that really gets me, themselves that do. (Robert in Reeve, 2008: 140) Common to all marginalised groups - internalise the prejudices held by dominant Then like a guy walking past me on the group about them street, saying, 'I'd rather be dead than be in Has direct effect on who people can be one of those' - Well, where do these people may assume cannot be a parent get off? (Laura, in Reeve, 2008: 146) Operates at level of unconscious so difficult to challenge AFT conference, Liverpool, 20/9/14 15 AFT conference, Liverpool, 20/9/14 16.

6 Key points of psycho-emotional Believing I'm no good' disablism All my life, call it insecurity, or whatever you Impacts on emotional well-being, self-esteem is like to put on it, right, is that, 'What's the akin to emotional abuse difference with me then? Why was I given up Cumulative past disablism impacts on current so early?' I hadn't had any chance to prove Intertwined with impairment, psycho-emotional myself in any form and yet somebody in dimensions of impairment, structural disablism and authority could say I was useless. [cut] I've other aspects of diversity got the tendency of going too negative- Can exclude as effectively as a flight of steps wards, I have, because 'I'm no good', going Fuelled by negative messages and images of back to being a kid again. 'Nothing is going to disability in society become of this gentleman'. (Rhodri, in Reeve, 2008: 162-163) More difficult to challenge/change than structural disablism AFT conference, Liverpool, 20/9/14 17 AFT conference, Liverpool, 20/9/14 18.

7 3. Exercise: social From Disability Studies we learn: DISGGRRAAACCEEESS. Ability is not the opposite of Small groups disability/disablism Consider adding Disability/disablism and Ability does not incorporate the lived Impairment back into the social GGRRAAACCEEESSS . experience of disability/disablism Retain Ability Ability shuts down curiosity about What new understandings would these terms disability/disablism bring to people you've worked/trained with? Ability does not incorporate the lived Consider the visible - invisible and voiced- experience of impairment unvoiced framework (Burnham, 2012). AFT conference, Liverpool, 20/9/14 19 AFT conference, Liverpool, 20/9/14 20. Concluding thoughts on DISsing Our conversations the social GRRAAACCEEESSS. How might considering oneself Temporarily Adding back Disability: Able-Bodied (TAB) affect curiosity? Encourages curiosity about possible structural disablism and psycho-emotional Taboos and (in)appropriate curiosity?

8 Disablism/internalised oppression Relevance of the (in) visible /(un)voiced Adding in Impairment: matrix? Invites curiosity about lived experience of Temporal dimension needed? impairment pain, fatigue and the psycho- emotional effects of impairment anxiety, Impairment personal and/or social grace? depression GRACES to DISGRACIES or DISGRACE? Retaining Ability: Invites curiosity about (in)ability AFT conference, Liverpool, 20/9/14 21 AFT conference, Liverpool, 20/9/14 22. Contact details Disability doesn't make you Victoria Jones exceptional, but questioning what you E-mail: think you know about it does.. (Stella Young) Dr Donna Reeve E-mail: Website: AFT conference, Liverpool, 20/9/14 23 AFT conference, Liverpool, 20/9/14 24. 4. References References Burnham, J. (2011) 'Developments in social Reeve, D. (2002) 'Oppression within the counselling GRRRAAACCEEESSS: visible - invisible and voiced- room', Counselling and Psychotherapy Research 2(1): unvoiced', in Krause (ed.)

9 Culture and 11-19. Reflexivity in Systemic Psychotherapy: Mutual Reeve, D. (2004) 'Psycho-emotional dimensions of Perspectives, London: Karnac Books, pp. 139-160. disability and the social model', in C. Barnes and G. Haydon-Laurelut, M. (2014) ' I'm not worried, they Mercer (eds) Implementing the social Model of are worried': Disability, dis/ableism and therapy', Disability: Theory and Research, Leeds: The Disability paper presented at College of Family, Couple & Press, pp. 83-100. (Available from http://disability- Systemic Therapy, Institute of Family Therapy, London, 6 June. ). Leonard Cheshire Disability (2012) 'Does Your Gym Reeve, D. (2008) Negotiating Disability in Everyday Work Out for Disabled People?', London: Leonard Life: The Experience of Psycho-Emotional Disablism, Cheshire Disability. PhD Thesis, Lancaster: Lancaster University. AFT conference, Liverpool, 20/9/14 25 AFT conference, Liverpool, 20/9/14 26.

10 References References Reeve, D. (2014) 'Counselling and disabled people: Help or Thomas, C. (2004) 'Developing the social relational in the social hindrance?', in J. Swain, S. French, C. Barnes and C. Thomas model of disability: A theoretical agenda', in C. Barnes and G. (eds) Disabling Barriers - Enabling Environments, 3rd Edition, Mercer (eds) Implementing the social Model of Disability: London: Sage, pp. 255-261. Theory and Research, Leeds: The Disability Press, pp. 32-47. Reeve, D. (2014) 'Psycho-emotional disablism and internalised (Available from http://disability- oppression', in J. Swain, S. French, C. Barnes and C. Thomas (eds) Disabling Barriers - Enabling Environments, 3rd Edition, ). London: Sage, pp. 92-98. Thomas, C. (2007) Sociologies of Disability and Illness: Roosen, K. M. (2009) 'From tragedy to 'crip' to human: The Contested Ideas in Disability Studies and Medical Sociology, need for multiple understandings of disability in psychotherapy', Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.