York Disability Week 2022 Review
Last updated:29 events and almost 500 people
In this sixth year of York Disability Week (26th November to 3rd December 2022) a total of 29 wide-ranging events took place, with almost 500 people taking part. There were ‘in-person’ events, ones that took place on-line, exhibitions, and the chance to ‘watch again’ some of the events from both previous years and this year. We were pleased to have several ‘new’ organisers this year as well as familiar ones. In addition to events aimed at disabled people and their allies, there were also events aimed at organisations and services, something pretty new to us.
You can see the full programme on the York Disability Week website.
As in previous years, we were able to support some events financially with help towards costs of BSL interpreters, room hire, running costs. We were pleased to again have the support of York Human Rights City Network volunteers with the website, social media, formatting the programme and collating feedback.
Two of the exhibitions (detailed below) will be running until 16th February: both are FREE and held at York Explore Library and Archive, Library Square, Museum Street, York YO1 7DS. The venue has ramped/sloped access; limited free disabled parking; ambulant toilet; accessible toilet; changing place. For online access guide go to the York explore Library entry on Accessible.
Twenty Years of Speaking Up, Self Advocacy and Learning Difficulties. A History of York People First, in Photos and Easy Read
York People First is a self-advocacy group for people with learning difficulties, and the only organisation in York with a trustee board of all people with learning difficulties. Set up in 2000, the group has played a significant role locally in representing the voice(s) of, and promoting issues of concern for, people with learning difficulties. This exhibition presents a selection of their journey as an easy read ‘photo and text collage’ highlighting some of their achievements, challenges and what they think needs to change.
Eleanor Worthington Prize 2021 Exhibition 'Disability and Technological Innovation'
A selection of artwork from the Eleanor Worthington Prize 2021 on the theme of ‘Disability and Technological Innovation’. The Eleanor Worthington Prize is open to students of Art Schools at tertiary level in Italy, UK and Ireland. The Prize aims at raising awareness of disabilities and promotes reflection on social inclusion, using the language of the visual arts. Now in its 9th year, it is awarded in memory of Eleanor, a severely disabled Anglo-Italian young person, who despite her many difficulties always maintained a great joy in life.
Watch Again Events
Here are the events available to ‘watch again’ for anyone with access to the internet:
York Explore - Unlikely History of Disability Arts - To the uninitiated, disability art conjures an image of a disabled person struggling to paint by clutching a paint brush between their teeth or toes. However, throughout the course of the disabled peoples’ struggle for equal rights, Disability Arts has played a vital role whether through the medium of the protest song, the caustic wit of the cartoon or satirical performance. Colin Hambrook, editor of Disability Arts Online, and Dave Lupton, aka Crippen, cartoonist and writer, take you on a journey through the archives with stories such as the disabled musicians who came together outside ITV headquarters to bring an end to Telethon; the performance artist who made headlines by hurling his artificial leg at a mountain of charity collection cans.
Watch ‘Unlikely History of Disability Arts’ on Youtube.
Countdown to Success: Marathon runner Charlotte Ellis in conversation - Hear the inspiring story of visually impaired marathon runner Charlotte Ellis as she discusses her remarkable sporting journey with Elly Fiorentini of BBC Radio York. Charlotte explains how she entered sport despite low expectations around sporting achievement for someone with sight loss and how the University of York was influential in her sporting career.
Watch ‘Countdown to Success’ on Youtube.
Journey to Being Active - Mo Onyett and Beth Moulam - Prepare to be inspired by Beth and Mo who are founder members of York RaceRunning Club (the sport is now called Frame Running). Beth and Mo met at the University of York when Beth was a student and Mo was working in the Student Hub. For very different reasons they had both come to Frame Running and their combined desire to be active led to the club being formed as part of the City of York Athletics Club.
Watch ‘Journey to Being Active’ on Youtube.
Finding Fulfilment When Living with Fatigue - Pippa Stacey is a disabled writer, influencer, and presenter based in York and also works in communication consultancy in the charity sector. Living with fatigue in this fast-paced world is tough. However, Pippa says that living with an Energy Limiting Condition over the past decade has taught her many valuable things about how to find joy and fulfilment in and amongst her long-term illness. Through this session she explores pacing, compassionate goal setting, using mobility aids, and self-acceptance… all in the name of helping you to establish your own path towards a more fulfilling life that truly feels like your own.
Watch ‘Finding Fulfilment When Living with Fatigue’ on Youtube.
Life Unseen: Why the History of Blindness Matters - Imagine a world without sight. Is it dark and gloomy? Is it terrifying and isolating? Or is it simply a state of not seeing, which we, the sighted world, have demonised and sentimentalised over the centuries?
Showing us why it matters, broadcaster and author Selina Mills takes us on a journey through the history of blindness in Western Culture to demonstrate that the state of not seeing is not so dark after all, and still influences us today.
Inspired by her own experience of losing her sight, Selina takes us on a personal and unsentimental historical quest through the lives and stories of blind people, as well as the sighted people who sought to patronise, demonise and fix blindness. Her lecture brings the day-to-day reality of sightlessness into conversation with the voices of the past. From the blind poet Homer to the myths of early medieval culture, from the scientific and medical discoveries of the Enlightenment to novels of melodrama and memoirs of modern times, the story of blindness turns out to be a story of our whole culture, seeing or unseeing.
Watch ‘Life Unseen: Why the History of Blindness Matters’ on Youtube.
Accessible Active Travel For All– Isabelle Clement was invited by INCLUDE (the University of York's disabled staff network) to give a talk, making the case for accessible active travel for all, setting out how inclusive walking, cycling & cycling infrastructure are central to a healthy, equitable and sustainable community.
Watch ‘Accessible Active Travel For All’ on Youtube.
