Abstract
This paper demonstrates how artists with disabilities create an opportunity for empathy devoid of pity through a symbiotic experience, a metaphorical dance that encourages mutual insight. Taking into consideration social, emotional, psychological, and physical contexts, these artists strive for a deeper understanding of disability. As with other forms of difference, our approach toward disability is often centered around a desire to fill the void created by a lack of experiential knowledge. In proactive attempts to understand, to empathize, we create exercises to mimic what we consider to be the “lack” or deviation from the normal. Sighted students are blindfolded to experience visual impairment; able-bodied city council members push themselves around in wheelchairs to comprehend urban obstacles; and neurotypical individuals enter deprivation chambers to experience altered senses. While practically useful, these experiences only scratch the surface of the disability experience. As Helen Keller suggested, without insight from the blind, the sighted will only stumble in darkness. These artists seek to provide that insight.
Presenters
Timothy HilesAssociate Professor, School of Art, University of Tennessee, Tennessee, United States Ashley Ekstrum
Student, Education, University of Tennessee , Tennessee, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
DISABILITY, ART, IDENTITY
