Search results for ‘Subject term:"learning disabilities"’ Sort:
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The Stage Life: promoting the inclusion of young people through participatory arts
- Authors:
- STICKLEY Theodore, CROSBIE Brian, HUI Ada
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 40(4), December 2012, pp.251-258.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This article discusses the “Stage Life” participatory arts programme for people attending a day services provision in Nottinghamshire. It was provided in a local disused cinema acquired by the local authority for community-based activities amongst disadvantaged groups. The Stage Life aimed to build the community arts capacity for young adults with learning disabilities by introducing approximately fifty people to participatory arts activities over a period of 2 years. A multimethod ethnographic approach was used to phenomenologically capture the impact of the Stage Life upon individuals’ lives, as well as capture people’s opinions and ideas regarding taking part in the activities. The research describes the effects upon people who were engaged with the programme. Positive benefits are reported both on a personal and on a social level. The authors concluded that joining in with arts activities helped people with learning disabilities to feel a part of the community.
Big and beautiful
- Authors:
- MCMINN Claire, BELLAMY Lorainne
- Journal article citation:
- Viewpoint, 119, November 2010, pp.24-25.
- Publisher:
- Mencap/Gateway
The Beautiful Octopus Club, which takes place four times a year, is a club night for people with and without a learning disability. As well as catering for clubbers with a learning disability, the event was set up to meet the needs of performers. The club is now 15 years old. The authors report on the celebrations held at the Royal Festival Hall, London where the headline performers were a punk and hip-hop three piece, two of whom had a learning disability.
Book clubs for people with intellectual disabilities: the evidence and impact on wellbeing and community participation of reading wordless books
- Authors:
- HOLLINS Shelia, EGERTON Jo, CARPENTER Barry
- Journal article citation:
- Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities, 10(5), 2016, pp.275-283.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to introduce the social and scientific rationale for book clubs, whose members read wordless books together, and give examples of storytelling with picture books in libraries and other community settings for people with intellectual disabilities and autism. Design/methodology/approach: The authors consider the impact of book clubs reading picture books without words, alongside an understanding of the underlying neuroscience (see Table I for search strategy). The authors compare differences in the neuroscience of information and emotion processing between pictures and words. Accounts from book club facilitators illustrate these differences in practice. Findings: Many readers who struggle with reading and comprehending words, find pictures much easier to understand. Book clubs support community inclusion, as for other people in society. A focus on visual rather than word literacy encourages successful shared reading. Research limitations/implications: No research has been published about the feasibility and effectiveness of wordless books in community book clubs or shared reading groups. There is very little research on the impact of accessible materials, despite a legal requirement for services to provide reasonable adjustments and the investment of time and resources in developing storylines in pictures, or “translating” information into easy read formats. Practical implications: Book clubs whose members read picture books without words are growing in number, especially in public libraries in the UK. Expansion is dependent on funding to pay for training for librarians and volunteer facilitators. Social implications: There is a shortage of fully accessible activities for adults with intellectual disabilities in mainstream community settings with a primarily social purpose. Originality/value: To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper describing the theory and impact of wordless book clubs for people who find pictures easier to understand than words. (Publisher abstract)
Between the lines
- Author:
- FAWCETT Edd
- Journal article citation:
- Viewpoint, 116, May 2010, pp.20-21.
- Publisher:
- Mencap/Gateway
The author describes the development of the Next Chapter Book Club for those with learning disabilities, which now has 160 groups in the US, Canada and Germany. Started in 2002 by the Ohio State University Nisanger Centre, the group was set up like a typical book club except that it was assumed that members would want to listen to books; in fact they wanted to be much more involved and took turns to read out loud. A group usually consists of six to eight members with two facilitators and meets once a week in a public space such as a book shop or cafe. Being held in these settings has allowed for interaction with the community and raises awareness of disability. Facilitators are encouraged to use echo reading for those with limited reading skills. Discussing the books gives the readers the opportunity to air their views, which may be an infrequent opportunity for some. Benefits reported include improved reading, greater confidence, increased assertiveness and a larger social circle. Some UK learning disability organisations are now setting up their own book clubs. The Squad, a south London charity, is one such example. Here there is a greater focus on graphic novels to help engage those with less reading ability.
Telling tales
- Author:
- MEADER Robin
- Journal article citation:
- Viewpoint, March 2008, pp.24-25.
- Publisher:
- Mencap/Gateway
The Unlimited Company are a group of professional storytellers with a learning disability. They aim to develop inclusive ways of storytelling, to challenge stereotypes and to bring the world of stories to people with learning disabilities. The author, artistic director of the company, discusses their work.
Art attack
- Author:
- PENFOLD Julie
- Journal article citation:
- Learning Disability Today, 14(3), March/April 2014, pp.12-13.
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
- Place of publication:
- Hove
Starburst Arts is a visual and performing arts initiative for people with learning disabilities who want to explore their creativity and engage with their local community through the arts. The initiative, based at the Wrenford Centre day centre for adults with learning disabilities in Chichester, West Sussex, provides links with the community to showcase the artists work and promote social inclusion. Its has also helped the artists to create art on new technology such as iPads and iMacs. (Original abstract)
Everyday practices of exclusion/inclusion: women who have an intellectual disability speaking for themselves?
- Authors:
- WELSBY Janette, HORSFALL Debbie
- Journal article citation:
- Disability and Society, 26(7), 2011, pp.795-807.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This article describes a small in-depth qualitative study which sought to understand the lives of women who have an intellectual disability. The participants were 5 women, aged between 28 and 52, who lived in the suburbs of Sydney, were receiving a Disability Support Pension and worked part-time in either the Business Services Sector or open employment. An arts-based research process, augmented by one-to-one in-depth interviews, was used. This enabled the women to speak how, and about what, they chose. The women chose to focus on the themes of work, friendship, identity and everyday life. Thematic analysis of the data showed that the women experienced practices of social and emotional exclusion, and inclusion, in their everyday lives. When they were excluded they were often aware of what was going on and had developed strategies, such as humour and using advocacy services, to deal with exclusionary practices. Further research which elicits such resistant practices and working with women to strengthen them could be useful for people interested in notions of inclusion.
Liberating silent voices – perspectives of children with profound and complex learning needs on inclusion
- Author:
- WHITEHURST Teresa
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 35(1), March 2007, pp.55-61.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This paper describes the evaluation of a drama production which involved 6 young people with profound and complex learning needs and 23 pupils from a mainstream school. The young people worked together on the project for nearly 2 years. The study aimed to find out what the young people with disabilities thought of the inclusion project. This article explains how the interviews were arranged, what tools were used and finishes with two case studies which are examples of what the young people thought. This research demonstrates that young people with severe learning disabilities have important messages to tell us about their experiences of inclusion. It also provides examples of how we can enable young people with severe learning disabilities to express their views.
Changes in understandings and perceptions of individuals, significant others and community supporters involved in a theatre company for adults with intellectual disabilities
- Authors:
- DICKINSON Danielle, HUTCHINSON Nick
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 32(3), 2019, pp.691-705.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Background: Theatre companies to show positive capabilities and identities of people with intellectual disabilities have been established. Existing research focuses upon sole theatre performances and rarely includes the impacts on those in the immediate and wider contexts of people with intellectual disabilities. Methods: The impacts of a theatre company on understandings and perceptions of intellectual disabilities from multiple perspectives were explored. Interviews with members with intellectual disabilities (n = 14), and focus groups with significant people in their lives (n = 11) and community supporters (n = 10) were conducted and analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Four superordinate and nine subordinate themes were identified. The theatre company increased members’ connectivity, allowed them to experience parts of life they are often excluded from, and enabled growth for all participants, leading to a desire to extend the theatre company's ethos elsewhere. Conclusions: The importance of such organisations to improve perceptions of people with intellectual disabilities is emphasized. (Edited publisher abstract)
Exploring the literature on music participation and social connectedness for young people with intellectual disability: a critical interpretive synthesis
- Authors:
- MURPHY Melissa AI, McFERRAN Katrina Skewes
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 21(4), 2017, pp.297-314.
- Publisher:
- Sage
- Place of publication:
- London
Background: This article explores the literature on social connectedness and music for young people with disability. It then critically examines the level of congruence between the reported literature to date and current rights-based disability studies discourse. Method: A critical interpretive synthesis was used to examine 27 articles referencing the use of music for social connectedness. Areas of focus in the review are the nature of connections being fostered in music programmes, the use of voice and collaboration. Results: The majority of music programmes reported on closed groups. Outdated ‘expert’ models of working persist. The use of participants’ voice in the literature is growing, although there is a lack of collaboration and negative reporting. Conclusion: A shift in thinking heralds greater collaboration with participants, although this could be broadened to include decisions on research agendas, planning and evaluation. There is also need for active fostering of broader socio-musical pathways. (Publisher abstract)