The Disabled Staff Community’s Histories of Disability exhibition, developed in partnership with colleagues, students and friends from STAART and NADSN, is now available to view and download here.
To mark the beginning of Disability History Month, the exhibition was launched at the Drill Hall Library in Medway - you can still visit the exhibition in-person until 16 December.
If this exhibition has inspired you, or if you have any questions or feedback to share, please email the Disabled Staff Community at disability@gre.ac.uk.
Read Alan Dudley's (Disabled Staff Community co-chair, NADSN Member and STAART Graduate) foreword to the exhibition below:
Stories have the power to inform, to establish empathy and to inspire a journey towards change.
This exhibition presents an introduction to the histories and personal experiences shared by its contributors, who all have something of the disabled experience that they want you to know. Showcased here are examples of disabled life, its barriers, and successes, in all their wonderful and shocking reality. The ‘ugliest’ among them have been tagged with trigger warnings and if you consider yourself sensitive to some of the topics here made explicit, please progress with caution.
If you feel triggered by something you’ve read or you are struggling, please reach out for support now.
Whilst it is inevitable that elements of the disabled experience may be considered upsetting, these are far outweighed by the number of uplifting examples signposting goodness and greatness. As the exhibition demonstrates, the contributions of the disabled community are staggering and play a key role in the development of society as a whole. Through our passion, determination, intellect, resilience, sensitivity, and dedication, we make a difference.
It is important to recognise our partners. The idea for this exhibition arose from anthologies published by key staff at the University of Greenwich. With pieces exploring student experiences relating to xenophobia (Prof. Louise Owusu Kwarteng) and poetry offering insight into the experience of being transgender (Dr Cherry Smythe). Subsequently, I was keen to see our community voice its experience in a similar way. Community support for developing a project with a focus on disabled experience was clear from the start, with institutional champion Dr Melanie Thorley driving its promotion.
Recognition of the work Melanie does is essential, her lynchpin liaison championing participation and raising awareness. Her support provided the driving force this exhibition needed to succeed. Community partnership with her exceptional sector leading initiative that provides Support Through AccessAbility Retention and Transition (STAART) for disabled students, and the National Association for Disabled Staff Networks (NADSN) where she holds office as regional director, projected our calls for participation which were answered both domestically and internationally. Further to note, featured within this exhibition are the STAART Principles of Disability (SPOD), another UK first from Dr Thorley, illuminating what disability on campus means. Hence, the stories shared here extend across international borders, represent the perspectives and experiences of staff and students holding a variety of roles and progressing a variety of degrees at all levels, and representing a range of disabilities.
I hope you enjoy reading our slides, celebrate our imperfections and come away better resourced to enable the spaces we share. My greatest appreciation to all who contributed and helped make this happen.
