Culture Notes from Down Under
By Robyn Hunt (robyn@iecho.co.nz)
A Night of Disability on TV
Recently I watched three programs with a disability connection on TV on one night. The mainstream media have begun their journey, but still have some way to go on disability topics.
I tuned in to my usual hospital soap, Shortland Street, a series that prides itself on exploring current social issues.
A vagrant with an intellectual disability was pestering and frightening women. It appeared to be the 'mad, bad and dangerous to know' stereotype. But we also heard about a lack of services and support that had led to this situation. The story was explored with at least some compassion.
A segment of the New Zealand 60 Minutes current affairs program included an Australian item on using stem cell research to cure people of conditions such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's.
It considered the moral question of when does an embryo become a human being, but not the issue of whether or not people want to be cured, although several people interviewed did indicate that they were not willing to sacrifice an embryo to be cured.
The value of disabled people was not explored in depth either, although one person did mention that judging people by level of functioning was not appropriate.
Interviewed were a scientist with early onset Alzheimer's who did not want to deprive an embryo of life for her cure, a man with Parkinson's and his family who did, and former Superman Christopher Reeve who still desperately wants to walk.
The program closed with a warning or encouraging reference, depending on your point of view, to cloning being just around the corner.
It is understandable that people with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and quadriplegia, (not paraplegia as the program incorrectly stated,) might as individuals wish to be cured. Journalists should not automatically assume everyone does. The interviewers obviously thought all of it was a fate worse than death, which is not constructive or unbiased investigation.
The documentary I switched to was better. Entitled 'Legless,' and yes you've guessed, it was about people who had their legs amputated or who were born without them.
It interviewed two men and two women, and yes you've guessed right again, the publicity described the program as inspiring.
Once I had got past that irritation I quite enjoyed the personal stories, discovering I know one of the participants. They were all very independent, interesting and engaging people as you would expect.
One was an Ironman sports enthusiast, keen to push himself to the limit. One was a sports coach with a young baby. One was a young boy competing and winning in the Australian junior disabled games.
One person featured, Debbie, had an inspirational book written about her for Koreans by a non-disabled Korean journalist. She visited Korea and made some forthright comments about the segregation she saw there.
The shame of having a disabled child in Korea was a stark contrast to the love and pride shown by the young swimmer's family, and a salutary reminder that disability rights are still a long way off for disabled people in many parts of the world.
It was good to see ordinary people going about their ordinary and not so ordinary lives, and sharing their humor with viewers.
Unfortunately the interviewers could not help themselves. Out came the usual obsession with the sex lives of disabled people. They didn't quite ask how they 'did it,' but you could tell they really wanted to know. Would they ask the same of a non-disabled sports person, artist or politician? I don't think so.
The next day I happened to turn the radio on to the farming program and what did I hear but 'Very special farmers.' Well at least they were described as farmers.
Indigenous and Disability identity Study Wins Research Award
A project on disability and identity won a University of Victoria, Wellington, New Zealand, 2001 Rosemary Seymour Maori research award
Huhana Hickey is a New Zealand Maori disabled woman.
The awards are concerned with feminist radical social change, and increasingly with inter-sectoral connections.
The paper, entitled Ko Wai Ahau? Who am I? Indigenous Disabled Identities, will be published in the New Zealand women's studies journal.
Huhana explains, 'It is only a discussion piece but I wanted it to open up an area never discussed before and create debate, which is certainly has. It is only a foundation piece but one I am hoping will give some visibility to a group seldom looked at.'
The paper will be a foundation for her doctoral proposal which is 'looking at indigenous disabled, treaty law, human rights law and disability law here and overseas and how these laws impact on and ignore disabled indigenous peoples which is why they make up the majority of negative statistics.'
She believes issues of disability and indigenous identities have yet to be explored within their own communities.
For more information contact Huhana at huhanas_consultancy@hotmail.com
International High Beam Disability Arts Festival
Adelaide's International High Beam Disability Arts Festival from 3 to 12 May was a biennial international arts festival showcasing contemporary works influenced or inspired by experience of disability.
This ten day multi-arts festival presented the latest in disability arts _ new perceptions, innovations and visions.
The festival includes the inaugural meeting of the International Guild of Disabled Artists and Performers (IGODAP).
More info on High Beam: http://www.artsinaction.asn.au/hb_what.htm More info on IGODAP: http://www.diversitynz.com/igodap/
A Sensory Feast of a Concert
A concert with a difference took place in Auckland New Zealand recently. Four Senses: a multi-sensory concert by Aotea Youth Symphony incorporated some additional features.
These included a spectacular light show, projected soundscapes, tactile devices and aromatherapy.
The Youth Symphony was joined by well known jazz singer Caitlin Smith, who has a vision impairment, Touch Compass Dance an acclaimed mixed ability company, and a "signing" choir.
Deaf concert-goers could book electronic tactile devices that enabled them to "feel" the music.
Truly Deeply Mad
There are some subjects you have to laugh about because otherwise they might be just too difficult to confront.
Mental illness is a perfectly reasonable response to an insane world says comedian, Michele A'Court. She was one of five top New Zealand comedians who presented the one-hour show Truly Deeply Mad as part of the TV2 International Laugh! Festival.
Michele got together with Pauline Anderson, Jeremy Elwood, Tony Lofley and Philip Patston to become the Framework Trust comedy team, challenging the stereotypes about mental illness with humor.
There was nothing "politically correct" in her approach. "There are fashions in mental illness, as in any other area of our lives," she says. "Fashions come and go - drug abuse, agoraphobia. The trends are shaped by movies such as The Shining and A Beautiful Mind. Certainly schizophrenia has never been more acceptable than it is now!"
In her segment of the show, Michele pondered which mental illness might be the best fashion-fit for her.
As host for the show, she came up with some appropriate new material. "I'm expecting that three guys will walk into a bar at some point. There would have been four, but one of them is agoraphobic..."
This is the second year mental Health service provider Framework Trust has taken the innovative step of entering the comedy arena as part of the Like Minds, Like Mine destigmatisation project.
This project also presents television advertisements featuring well-known New Zealanders talking about their mental illnesses.
The Trust's aim with the Laugh! Festival entry is to foster greater awareness of the issues which surround mental illness by encouraging audiences to laugh at - and examine - their own attitudes.
"People's attitudes and the way they relate to those with mental illness can make or break efforts towards recovery," says Debbie Hager of Framework Trust. "When we use comedy, we can go into some of those sensitive areas and tackle some of the issues that you cannot usually talk about."
The topic is close to the hearts of all members of the comedy team, every one of them has either experienced mental illness or is close to someone else who has.
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