Accessible Curating always meant very little to me.
I had no friends who were disabled and I have had few connections to anyone who isn’t able-bodied. I acquired my disabilities in my hands when I was a child, and they largely grew as time went on. Along with the negative feelings that I had towards my body when I could no longer walk, I then initially had and reluctantly learned to navigate the world from my bed. For a long time I refused to see that I now had to interact with others from my smartphone, and in veritable isolation. I’d viewed my disabilities as though they were my own personal death sentence.
Until one day when I woke up, saw that I was essentially dying inside, and needed to connect with others who had disabilities.That’s when I began my mission of living every day in gratitude, having a zest for life, and feeling that I was my best self in knowing that I had taken the first step in loving myself and my life.
And one day I submitted some of my work for a call for submissions for a shared residency program from Workman Arts and Tangled Art + Disability. I was picked for it at age 58. It was then that I had my first opportunity for growth and connection. I met with artists from Workman and Tangled, and after showing them the drawings I had completed, they immediately commenced to make my dream a reality.
I wanted my work to be fully accessible; ASL, QSL, large screens, written in large font, voice recordings–everything I felt was necessary.
In the end, they did what they could and they found ways to make my visual art accessible to those who were disabled. I learned how to work with other artists and orchestrate how to bring my art to life.
Everyone at Workman and Tangled were so supportive and encouraging. I really needed that after doing things on my own for decades.
I remember thinking, is this real? Did they really choose me and my work? The answer was, yes. They really believed in me and my vision for the exhibition, and it was a really great experience for me.
I’d always heard from others that my art was unsophisticated and lacked refinement. But everyone at Workman and Tangled showed me that my work deserves to be seen, heard, valued, and worthy of recognition. From that moment on I found the fortitude to begin doing things for others, and in service to those who needed a little uplifting in life, so I started The Bedbound Artists Society.
In the future, I have plans to perhaps turn this dream into housing in Toronto for myself and 3 or 4 other bedbound femme artists.
I also started drawing, reading, and listening again for the quieter moments in my life. I found a new strength to do that which I’d never had done before.
I now see that my beliefs and attitudes towards my disabilities had to change. I’m still learning what I need to do in order to make my work more accessible and open to disabled folks. It all changed when I revamped my perspective and accepted the residency. And now, I only want to grow to new possibilities, exponentially. I’m not sure what can be done to help make all art of various kinds more accessible.
I know that technology needs to be much more user friendly. Disabled folks need financial security and a stable home in order to flourish. We need proper nurturing care in order to thrive. I know that I can’t change all the injustices we face.
But I know that I can do MY part in bringing a little comfort and clarity to everyone’s day.
It doesn’t get any better than that 😉
