This is a brief guide to researching records of disability. For the purpose of this guide, disability is taken to include all types of sensory or physical impairment, including chronic health conditions and the long-term effects of war wounds. Deafness and blindness are also covered as these have historically been treated as disabilities.
This diverse and fascinating collection looks at representations of disabled people on screen over the past ten decades. It offers a glimpse into the lives and experiences of people often hidden from screen history, and a chance to see how contemporary disabled artists and filmmakers are insisting that their own images and voices must be … More
Resources produced for and gathered around each year’s theme, and some other useful and interesting material.
Unlimited presents a short animation to help us explain the social model of disability, the important approach to disability which informs our work…
You can take a wheelchair just about anywhere. Amy addresses societal perceptions of disability and her vision for how we all change the way we approach disability. Amy has been a wheelchair user for the past ten years; she has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a rare genetic condition that causes weak tissues, joint dislocation, chronic pain and … More
For more than 30 years, Judith Heumann has been involved on the international front working with disabled people’s organizations and governments around the world to advance the human rights of disabled people. Judith Heumann is an internationally recognized leader in the disability community and a lifelong civil rights advocate for disadvantaged people. She has been … More
We Shall Not Be Removed has worked in partnership with Ramps on the Moon, Attitude is Everything,Paraorchestra, and What Next? to create a new guide for the arts and entertainment sectors to support disability inclusion. Our Seven Inclusive Principles for Arts & Cultural Organisations working safely through COVID-19 is designed to complement the suite of … More
Learning Disability Week, taking place in the third week of June is presented by Mencap.
Learning disabled people are chronically underrepresented in the film industry. This is a time to reflect on supporting learning disabled representation in the film industry as well as consider access to cinema for neurodivergent audiences.
Oska Bright, based in Brighton is the worlds biggest learning disability film festival. Find out more about their amazing work here. Mencap community group of people with a learning disability took a look at four films which were shown as part of the Oska Bright 2024 Film Festival. You can watch the films here.
Daydream Cinema provide accessible screenings for neurodiverent and disabled audiences. The Connect With Film: Neurodivergent Short Film Programme features several films by learning disabled filmmakers, and will be screened FREE online during Learning Disability Week. Watch it here from Saturday 22nd – Sunday 23rd June 2024.
In 2019, FAN New Releases supported Signature’s title The Peanut Butter Falcon, a modern Mark Twain-esque adventure starring Shia LaBeouf (American Honey, Fury) as a small-time outlaw turned unlikely coach who joins forces with Zack Gottsagen‘s Zak, a young man with Down Syndrome on the run from a nursing home with the dream of becoming a professional wrestler. You can now watch The Peanut Butter Falcon on BFI Player.
You can also watch the film My Feral Heart on Amazon Prime. A drama in which Luke (Steven Brandon), a young man with Down’s syndrome who prizes his independence, is forced into a care home after the death of his mother. There he rails against the restrictions imposed on him, but his frustrations are allayed by his budding friendships with his care-worker Eve (Shana Swash) and a mysterious feral girl (Pixie Le Knot).
If you’re interested in running a relaxed screening to help bring in Learning Disabled audiences to your cinema, find out more in our quick tips for running relaxed screenings. You may also find some transferable advice in our autism-friendly screenings guide, though bear in mind much of this advice is specific to people living with autism, not necessarily those who are Learning Disabled. Ideally, consult with Learning Disabled groups in your area for advice and expertise.
ICO spoke to Helen Wright, Festival Coordinator at Scottish Queer International Film Festival (SQIFF) about her experience of ensuring the festival is accessible to all audiences. Helen explains how SQIFF integrates access across their organisation and events, making this integral to their work from the very start.
Battersea Arts Centre is relaunching itself as what it claims is the world’s first relaxed venue, in a move it said will help make it more accessible to disabled and neurodivergent audiences, artists and staff. As a fully relaxed venue, BAC said it will embed access and inclusivity across all its activities, applying the principles … More
