Disability service page
The commitment of UAL towards achieving inclusion and equality for disabled students is admirable. With over 3500 students in contact with the Disability Service, the university demonstrates its dedication to supporting students with various disabilities as defined by the Equality Act 2010. Whether it’s dyslexia, sensory impairments, physical impairments, long-term health or mental health conditions, autism, or other conditions impacting daily life, UAL offers pre-course advice and continuous support throughout the student journey. The Disability Advisers are there to explain available adjustments, support, and funding options. By embracing the social model of disability, UAL actively works to eliminate barriers and promote inclusive practices. This student-centred approach reflects the university’s respect, empowerment, and professional values.
As course leader and year group leader, I include information about the services provided by UAL. Furthermore, I work alongside the students with declared disabilities in their 1-on-1 tutorials to discuss accommodations for classes or assessments.
The ownership of sound – Thoughts on Christine Sun Kim video.
As a sound professional and lecturer, the phrase that struck me during the video was ‘The ownership of sound’ and how important the topic is for the deaf community.
Sound is often considered a universal experience, but it can exclude those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Society prioritises hearing perspectives and assumes sound as a default mode of communication. However, it is crucial to recognise that deaf people have their own rich culture and language, such as sign language. The reflection on ownership of sound calls for a broader understanding and acceptance of diverse communication methods. Embracing inclusivity means valuing and respecting all individuals’ unique experiences and contributions, ensuring their voices are heard and celebrated.
I will take a deeper look into this concept and use it for one of my Y1 lectures in the Introduction to Music Production unit; I think it would give the students a deeper understanding of the ownership of sound and its significance for the deaf community. It challenges the common assumption that sound is universally accessible and highlights the exclusionary nature of prioritizing hearing perspectives.
#DisabilityTooWhite
The interview with Vilissa Thompson highlights the lack of representation of disabled people of colour in the media. The #DisabilityTooWhite hashtag aims to address this disparity and spark discussions about the erasure of these voices. Thompson emphasizes the importance of accurate portrayals and the involvement of disabled actors of colour. Allies, especially white disabled or nondisabled individuals, play a role in amplifying these voices and acknowledging their privilege. The interview serves as a reminder of the ongoing work needed to promote inclusivity and understanding within the disability community.
Reflecting on the interview, I believe we should bring the issue to our classrooms and our artistic disciplines; we should emphasise the need for continued dialogue, reflection, and attention to the issues on this topic. By creating more diversity within the disability community and amplifying marginalised voices, we should work for a future where everyone feels included and represented. I asked myself how we could bring the conversation into our discipline. I try to think of significant music acts with disabilities, and only white artists come to mind.
Deaf Accessibility for Spoonies
The author shares the challenges they faced in accessing adequate pain management as a brown woman in Western and non-Western contexts. The text highlights the underestimation and undertreatment of pain experienced by women of colour, shedding light on healthcare disparities. The artist emphasizes the need for intersectionality in the arts, making productions accessible for disabled individuals and addressing chronic pain, fatigue, and mental health issues.
We must advocate for increased awareness and support for disabled artists, emphasizing self-care and seeking assistance when needed. It makes me think about touring musicians and crews. Is there any framework put in place for independent touring acts/bands? Are we thinking about it when planning tours? Or long recording sessions?
This is a reminder of the systemic barriers faced by disabled artists, urging for greater inclusivity and support within the arts sector. This topic and discussions could be added to our Audio Principals for Live Sound, where students are introduced to touring, and live sound practices.
Visual impairments in fashion = Hearing impairments in music
Reflection on Understanding Visual Impairment by Claudette Davis-Bonnick In Disabled People: The Voice of Many.
The text discusses the challenges individuals with visual impairments face in the fashion industry and education, highlighting the need for inclusivity and understanding of their experiences. Similarly, individuals with hearing impairments may encounter unique obstacles in studying Music Production due to the reliance on auditory cues, communication and what we assume as ‘the understanding of sound’. To create an inclusive learning environment, reasonable adjustments must be made to accommodate their specific needs. This could involve providing captioned videos, visual aids, or accessible communication methods like sign language interpretation. Additionally, the use of assistive technology systems can enhance their learning experience. Music Production courses can ensure equal access and promote inclusivity by recognizing the individual experiences of students with hearing impairments and implementing necessary accommodations. Like the text, I must remark that working with hearing impairment in music is entirely doable. It is crucial for the industry to prioritize awareness, education, and proactive measures to support and empower individuals with hearing impairments in pursuing their passion for music production.
The author remarks that, when talking about fashion education, “beauty is not only ocular”, referring to the use of other senses to understand the beauty in a piece of garment. However, can music and music creation be not only auditory?
Disability Service Page.
As a member of the Disability Service at UAL, it’s great to hear course/year leaders taking interest in accommodations for disability students. I heard from the disability department the other day that on average, the disability advisors have something like a caseload of 700 students each. Sometimes I remind students to communicate/reach out to their DAs (some don’t remember they have one). I also encourage them to speak to their lecturers about how their learning is impacted by their circumstances. Often, they are shy though, and sensitive so will only come forth when they feel comfortable.
As you say in response to DisabilityTooWhite, ‘By […] amplifying marginalised voices, we should work for a future where everyone feels included and represented’. The challenge is to do our best to create genuine opportunities and platforms that encourage the conversations/expressions that amplify the voices. This is where considering students’ preferred method of communication is important. And this ties in nicely with your comment in response to Kim Sun’s film ‘The reflection on ownership of sound calls for a broader understanding and acceptance of diverse communication methods’. Yes, we need to be more curious about our senses and the role they can play with communicating, highlighted by the limiting hierarchy of the senses.
I don’t know how I managed to title my response above with ‘0 thoughts on’ . I think I was cutting and pasting . What a disaster. Can the moderator remove that?
I find particularly interesting your response to Christine Sun Kim work and video, and I am curious how you could incorporate this idea of ownership of sound but also bring the definition of sound to a broader sense.
Perhaps an exploration of sound could be beyond the central idea of the ears and the able perception that we have, opening a discussion around sound, the hierarchy of sound, the feeling of sound and the hierarchy of senses with the student could be a great start to the Yr1 as you mentioned. Perhaps this collective thinking could challenge the consensus and bring a more inclusive, empowering experience of sound and music production.
I am also wondering which tools would you then use to facilitate this workshop or discussion and if they should be traditional tools.
The suggestions you posed for making a more inclusive learning environment are all very helpful and could really be integrated into all practices. I enjoyed reading your blog, very well articulated and some very great points on diversity and inclusivity.