What is it about galleries and disabilities?
People with disabilities negotiate space differently depending upon their impairment. –
Before I go any furtheri need to make a necessary comment about language – the disability world is fraught in terms of language all i need to say is that my terms may be incorrect but my heart is in the right place and i am talking from within the circle rather than without – Phew! Back to the art!
So people negotiate space differently. For wheel chair access we can see that it needs to be a minimum of 75cm for a door. But for hidden impairments? I engage with my space differently to a blind or deaf person perhaps – the ‘feel’ the psychological aspect of the space is paramount for me. Where are the doors, windows, high ceilings, do the walls move, is that wall actually a door. All these and more impact on wether or not i even enter a space or how i feel about those spaces. And i’m not even in the gallery yet!
Galleries are not known for their riots or public disorder or as unsafe environments – but that depends entirely on your perspective. Big spaces can be intimidating, small spaces can be claustrophobic – one size doesn’t fit all. All i know is that i need to create a safety matrix as i go around the varying spaces.
I haven’t even got to how relevant is contemporary art, generic gallery visitors, stereotypical disabled people and their lack of interest in culture because they are too busy being isolated on their sink estates in their low achievement high rises. Well wake up to the real world – that’s a stereotype – there’s plenty of high functioning socially engaged disabled people too. What about them and their cultural appetite. Where do we go?
Why don’t people with disabilities engage with contemporary art spaces.?The people of dundee are being quite quiet on this one at the moment.
