Arts project challenges disability stereotypes

A city's arts organisation is marking 30 years of the Disability Discrimination Act with championing slogans and artwork about deafness, disability, and/or neurodivergence (DDN).

The Reasonable Adjustments (RAD) project by Peterborough Presents aims to tackle stereotypes and raise awareness about making spaces more inclusive for people with DDN.

"Mind the gap in equality" and "If society was inclusive and accessible, I could flourish" are among messages printed on about 100 T-shirts displayed across participating venues including the city's museum and central library.

Artist Fae Kilburn created the T-shirt trail which she said aimed to challenge negative perceptions around disabilities.

The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 made it illegal to discriminate against someone because of their disability.

Charley Genever from RAD said it had been "amazing to spread the messages across the city".

"The overwhelming learning I've taken from this exhibition is that society isn't doing enough," she said.

"Listen to the people who are actually being affected and then make changes with them, involving them, and not just assume you know what's right if you don't have that lived experience yourself."

David, 15, who has Asperger's Syndrome participated in the summer workshops.

"I enjoyed making a three-dimensional object and the poetry workshop was really nice. I found them calm and fun," he said.

Another participant Dorota has coeliac disease and is a mum to three children with disabilities.

"My children will become adults one day. I don't want the cuts and injustices to impact them and that is why I felt it was important to take part," she said.

"People, when they don't see [that] you are physically disabled, they make assumptions about you. They think you look healthy, so they don't really understand how hard it is for us with all the activities we do every day."

She said she enjoyed the experience, adding that "the best part of the exhibition is you can touch and feel everything".

"My boys love coming in. It is not something you can do at most exhibitions," she said.

The next part of the RAD project, to be held from 2 October, will feature more work by Peterborough artists including films and portraits inspired by the Disability Discrimination Act.

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