WAARC Disabled Staff Exhibit

This short film explores my experience living with Multiple Sclerosis.  MS is a neurological condition affecting more than 100,000 people in the UK.  Symptoms vary, and the progression of the disease is unpredictable, affecting every individual differently.  
Over 20 years on from my initial diagnosis, outwardly I appear to be in reasonable health.  However, the deterioration has been largely in my brain – my hearing is impaired by deafness and tinnitus, my vision is disturbed, and I struggle with memory and concentration.  The film attempts to capture my problems engaging with the outside world, whilst revealing both the hidden nature of my disability and my dependence on the medical profession. 
 

Background for the artwork

Daniel Jary

 

This is an ongoing digital exhibit. To honour the chronic and non-linear time of disability, staff members are invited to submit items whenever they are ready.

I am but one small shiitake mushroom connected to a vast mycelial network with other disabled fungi, loving and caring for one another. We are not alone.

Disability Intimacy

Alice Wong

Disability arts in the UK have seen a surge since the 1980s, but not all disabled people create about disability. In our efforts to promote anti-ableist research culture at the University of Sheffield, the WAARC team believes in acknowledging and celebrating the creativity and artistry of disabled and chronically ill staff members. Alongside important policy changes that address the pragmatic realities of being a disabled worker in higher education, art highlights the cultural impact of disabled people.