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Dear Adrian, Richard, Denise, Elizabeth, Barbara, Susanne and Joseph.
Wow! Such passionate and diverse opinions. I wish now, that I had
elaborated on my opinion regarding "disabled experts". I shall attempt to
do so now.
I earn my living as ' a has been drip under pressure' ;-) - or in other
words -- Disability Equality Trainer/Consultant (It beats sitting at home
all day counting the patterns in the wallpaper). I have run my business
successfully for the past six years, and whilst I do not profess to be an
'expert' in all disability issues, I have considerable knowledge about the
everyday barriers that disabled people face, and this is what I pass on to
my students.
My students come from all walks of life, from brownie packs, school
children and university students. Voluntary sector members to private
sector staff and managers, and of course disabled people.
A typical one day workshop in Disability Equality Training, would include
subjects such as -- the social model versus the medical model of
disability; the history of disabled people; the history of the disabled
peoples movement; language and terminology; disability etiquette;
discrimination; legislation; equal opportunities; environmental,
structural and attitudinal barriers and so on.
Often to explain further, or highlight a particular issue, I will give
examples of personal or other disabled peoples 'real life experiences' --
this helps participants to more fully understand the implications of their
actions when for example, providing or failing to provide a service for
disabled people (i.e. the provision of information in different formats).
It is in this particular area -- the sharing of 'real life experiences' --
that in my opinion, disabled people are the 'experts'.
Further, within the area of disability etiquette, in particular when
talking to participants about offering (or choosing not to offer)
assistance to a disabled person, I emphasise that the disabled person is
'the expert' when it comes to the specific kind of assistance that the
disabled individual does or does not require. For your [list members]
benefit I shall use myself as an example -- my impairments were caused by
the drug thalidomide, I have foreshortened legs and two fingers protruding
from either shoulder, I use an electric wheelchair for mobility, and a type
and control my computer by talking to it! When I require assistance,
personal or otherwise -- I am the disabled expert when it comes to the type
of assistance I require -- when I chose to have a baby, the medical experts
gave their opinions, family members and friends threw in their 'expert'
opinions and even total strangers shared their 'expert' opinions -- but at
the end of the day only we (disabled people) are -or should be - the
experts when it comes to our own capabilities, limitations, expectations,
requirements, desires, choices and so on.
And yes, Adrian you are right, not all disabled people are experts or have
any desire to study disability issues and politics, or have an
understanding of the social model -- yet! But for any disabled person
attending Disability Equality Training for the first time it is empowering,
enlightening and informative. for non-disabled people attending Disability
Equality Training courses, the feedback is always positive, and ranges from
"it was very interesting" to "it was enlightening, informative, interesting
and the most useful course I have ever attended".
This now leads me to Susanne' s points. There is a difference between
being asked to speak at a public event as the token disabled person [Or
the token black person or the token gay person for that matter], and
delivering training professionally and for a fee. In the past many
disabled activists were asked to speak on the subject of disability or
being disabled, often as a token gesture, nearly always as an after
thought, hardly ever for a fee and generally patronised into the bargain.
Disabled professional trainers have worked hard to gain equal status with
other non-disabled professional trainers. And I have to say, know more
about the subject of disability in general, than non-disabled trainers.
That is why it's is imperative for disability equality training to be
delivered by disabled people -- if it is not, then the true picture can not
possibly be portrayed. Further, it would be akin to a male trainer
training a group of women on the subject of women' s issues, or a
heterosexual trainer training a group on the subject of homosexuality!
I and the other Disability Equality Trainers and Disabled Activists that I
know, who speak on the subject of disability, do so only with the intention
of doing good for the disability movement. I fail to comprehend why you
see it as "cheap entertainment,... Exploitation... Harmful to the
disability cause..." And "sociological pornography" (!!!)
You are right though Susanne on the point that, fundamentally disabled
people have the choice as to whether or not they speak/teach on the subject
of disability.
Finally, to Elizabeth and Barbara I say, please keep inviting disabled
people to teach/speak to your students on the subject of disability. The
children of today are the adults of tomorrow, and if as future employers,
service providers etc they have learnt something positive about disabled
people, from a disabled person, then the ultimate goal has been achieved.
Whether or not be disabled person is seen as, or deemed to be an expert is
irrelevant, but it is very important for the subject to be taught by a
disabled person because it has far more impact and is real/factual and not
theoretical or second hand. Again, the feedback is usually, "the fact that
the tutor was disabled, made it more interesting and relivent".
If I receive any response to this e-mail, I will not be able to respond
back until Wednesday, because on Monday and Tuesday I am facilitating two
all day Disability Equality Training workshops for Customs And Excise front
line staff. ;-)
Rosie.
Rosaleen Moriarty-Simmonds, B.Sc.(Hon).
RMS - Freelance Journalist & Disability Issues Consultant
E-mail - [log in to unmask]
Web Site - http://www.rms-cons.demon.co.uk
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