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Assistive technology for disabled visual artists: exploring the impact of digital technologies on artistic practice
- Author:
- CREED Chris
- Journal article citation:
- Disability and Society, 33(7), 2018, pp.1103-1119.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Disabled artists with physical impairments can experience significant barriers in producing creative work. Digital technologies offer alternative opportunities to support artistic practice, but there has been a lack of research investigating the impact of assistive digital tools in this context. This article explores the current practice of physically impaired visual artists and their experiences around the use of digital technologies. An online survey was conducted with professional disabled artists and followed up by face-to-face interviews with 10 invited artists. The findings illustrate the issues disabled artists experience in their practice and highlight how they are commonly using mainstream digital technologies as part of their practice. However, there is little awareness around novel forms of technology (e.g. eye gaze tracking) that present new creative opportunities. The importance of digital tools for supporting wider practice (i.e. administrative and business tasks) was also highlighted as a key area where further work is required. (Publisher abstract)
Assistive tools for disability arts: collaborative experiences in working with disabled artists and stakeholders
- Author:
- CREED Chris
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Assistive Technologies, 10(2), 2016, pp.121-129.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the experiences in working collaboratively with physically impaired visual artists and other stakeholders (e.g. disability arts organisations, charities, personal assistants, special needs colleges, assistive technologists, etc.) to explore the potential of digital assistive tools to support and transform practice. Design/methodology/approach: The authors strategically identified key organisations as project partners including Disability Arts Shropshire, Arts Council England, the British Council, SCOPE, and National Star College (a large special needs college). This multi-disciplinary team worked together to develop relationships with disabled artists and to collaboratively influence the research focus around investigating the current practice of physically impaired artists and the impact of digital technologies on artistic work. Findings: The collaborations with disabled artists and stakeholders throughout the research process have enriched the project, broadened and deepened research impact, and enabled a firsthand understanding of the issues around using assistive technology for artistic work. Artists and stakeholders have become pro-active collaborators and advocates for the project as opposed to being used only for evaluation purposes. A flexible research approach was crucial in helping to facilitate research studies and enhance impact of the work. Originality/value: This paper is the first to discuss experiences in working with physically impaired visual artists – including the benefits of a collaborative approach and the considerations that must be made when conducting research in this area. The observations are also relevant to researchers working with disabled participants in other fields. (Publisher abstract)
A preliminary study of some broad disability related themes within the Edinburgh Festival Fringe
- Author:
- MARTIN Nicola
- Journal article citation:
- Disability and Society, 25(5), August 2010, pp.539-549.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Disablism is defined as discriminatory, oppressive or abusive behaviour arising from the belief that disabled people are inferior to others. In this article the author considers some broad disability related themes (by disabled performers and by others) focusing on her personal experience of the 2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Comedy is covered in most detail with particular focus on one performer. Reference is also made to other performance categories, such as drama, and to some influences from beyond the fringe. Consideration is given to whether disabled comedians can be disablist and whether disability equality legislation is impacting what happens in performances. Disablism, othering and freak show genre were amongst the themes which emerged. From the perspective of a disability aware audience member the author found that unreconstructed disablism in comedy appeared to be fairly widespread within the fringe, mainly manifesting itself via the idle use of othering language. In addition to this physical access to venues was very poor.