Blog Post 1: Disability

Ade Adepitan, in his interview with Paralympics GB, highlights that people’s disabilities don’t limit them, but instead its the societal barriers and discrimination surrounding them. This aligns with the social model of disability, which suggests it’s society—not impairment—that disables people.

“What makes people disabled is not their disability… it’s society. Society is what holds us back; it’s that systemic discrimination and oppression” (Adepitan, 2020).

He also says, “I intersect disability and race, so I see discrimination from both angles.” (Adepitan, 2020). Intersectionality—how overlapping identities, like race and disability, shape someone’s lived experience in complex and compounding ways. For Adepitan, these intersections lead to visible, public experiences of exclusion.

Christine Sun Kim’s work as a Deaf artist made me reflect on my own practice. In her Art21 interview, she describes her life as lived through “echoes” – navigating through translation and interpretation. She talks about being a Deaf mother and artist in Germany, and how state-supported structures enable her to function in both roles. Kim’s experience shows how supportive structures can reduce barriers. ( It was a striking contrast compared to Adepitan’s experience – and between the two videos addressed how support structures can create or reduce opportunity.

Kim’s idea that “size equals visibility” resonates – who is visible in my studio? Is my teaching making enough space for diverse needs and identities?

Chay Brown, a neurodiverse, trans, gay man, talks about how some identities are “invisible”—and while this may lessen the discrimination he faces in public, it can also make it harder to be recognised and included. His reflections underline how intersectionality isn’t always about what’s seen, but also about what’s missed.

“It’s to do with listening to disabled people and being willing to be told ‘actually you could have done this better’” (Brown, 2023).

This echoes the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), discussed by Glass, Meyer, and Rose (2012), who argue that inclusive approaches benefit everyone—not just students with declared needs.

“What is critical is not to make education more accessible to students with disabilities… but to ensure that UDL options and alternatives are exercised broadly” Glass, Meyer, & Rose, (2012, p. 117).

In my role, I demonstrate complex sewing techniques using a pinned camera. I’ve realised my handouts no longer match the delivery, which disadvantages students who need or prefer written instructions. I’m updating those and adding closed captions to videos, reflecting UDL principles and shifting the burden off students to adapt.

UAL’s Access and Participation Plan notes an attainment gap for disabled students, reminding me that inclusivity isn’t optional—it’s essential. Being inclusive isn’t about getting it perfect, but about being open to feedback and willing to change. Recognising intersectionality, embedding UDL, and following the social model of disability helps me design a learning space that doesn’t just work for some—but works better for all.

References

Adepitan, A. (2020). ‘Ade Adepitan gives amazing explanation of systemic racism’. Interview with Ade Adepitan. Interviewed by Nick Webborn for Paralympics GB, 16 October. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAsxndpgagU (Accessed: 25 April 2025).

Brown, C. (2023). ‘Intersectionality in Focus: Empowering Voices during UK Disability History Month 2023’. Interview with Chay Brown. Interviewed for Parapride, 13 December. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yID8_s5tjc (Accessed: 25 April 2025).

Glass, D. Meyer, A. and Rose, D. (2012) Universal design for learning in the classroom: practical applications. New York: Guilford Press.

Kim, C. S. (2023) ‘Christine Sun Kim in “Friends & Strangers” – Season 11 | Art21’. Interview with Christine Sun Kim. Interviewed for Art21, 1 November. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NpRaEDlLsI&t=1s (Accessed: 25 April 2025).

Rowe, M. (2019) Christine Sun Kim’s ‘if sign language was considered equal we’d already be friends. Available at : Christine Sun Kim; If Sign Language Was Considered Equal We’d Already Be Friends; Art Night 2019 image courtesy Matt Rowe – Mentoring and Coaching for Creatives(Accessed: 03 June 2025)

University of the Arts London, London College of Fashion (2025) Access and Participation Plan 2025-26 to 2028-29. London. Available at : Access and Participation Plan 2025-26 to 2028-29 (Accessed: 03 June 2025)