Arts, Disability and Crip Theory: Temporal Re-Imagining in Social Care for People with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities

Hannah Young,Susan Levy

doi:10.16993/sjdr.620

Abstract

People with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) are some of the most marginalised in society and are perceived to lack agency. This paper contests such a narrative, presenting findings from an innovative project in Scotland, UK, exploring the impact of artists working collaboratively with people with PMLD and their formal carers. Art is conceived as a social practice, a process, an embodied aesthetic and sensory experience that takes place between individuals. Theoretically, the paper adopts an original approach, combining crip theory, the capability approach and social pedagogy to re-imagine and re-position people with PMLD. The year-long qualitative study used data from reflective diaries (n = 111) and semi-structured interviews (n = 9) with artists, carers and management of a day centre. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of these shared experiences was used. The results reveal an unsettling of prevailing norms and creative ways of doing and experiencing social care that is relational.

Highlights

This paper challenges and contests the prevailing positioning of people with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) and of social care practices that construct people with disabilities, and other marginalised groups, as passive and non-communicative
The findings presented in this paper are in two sections: Relational care and learning and Temporal re-imagining through art as experience
Both focus on the use of art to communicate, develop relationships and learn from and with people with PMLD through contesting ableist time and normative social care practice

Summary

Introduction

This paper challenges and contests the prevailing positioning of people with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) and of social care practices that construct people with disabilities, and other marginalised groups, as passive and non-communicative. Through the interpretative lens of artists and social care workers, we draw on innovative social care practice at a day centre in Scotland, UK, where artists are working collaboratively with people with PMLD and their paid carers. This radical new approach is a critique of the interventionist-bent of ‘caring for’ people with disabilities in day centres (Douglas, Rice & Kelly 2018). Social care practice has for too long been orientated towards ableist constructs of achieving outcomes of linear development (Löfgren-Mårtenson 2013; McRuer 2006) and privileged normative, ableist time and space, which has been a barrier to people with disabilities and their carers fully engaging with each other. Whilst recognising that the paper does not include the perspectives of people with PMLD, we acknowledge that integrating their voices into research remains an area for future development

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Conclusion