The social model of disability states that there is no "disability", in the sense of individual limitations, only "social barriers". In its neutral form, this is simply an invitation to business and government to come together, and be guided by individuals affected by social barriers in how to create a better world.
Unfortunately, very few things' neutralities survive their first exposure to human beings, and the social model of disability is no different; even in a "perfect" world, with maximal intersectional inclusion, there would still be people who had a negative experience, despite not behaving in anyway that "deserves" punishment or exclusion. (Although, in a truly maximally intersectionally inclusive world, it could be argued that no one would "deserve" punishment or exclusion... It depends on whether there is any real possibility of educating and socialising out intolerance in others, which is very much the "elephant in the room" of sociological debate, and outside the scope of this blog.)
The social model of disability's first fumble is that it doesn't really know what to do about people with disabilities so severe they are completely and fully dependent on others; the social model is, at its core, the creation of middle-class, moderate-impact disabled people, often representative of demographics with considerable social privilege outside of being disabled people.
Unfortunately, very few things' neutralities survive their first exposure to human beings, and the social model of disability is no different; even in a "perfect" world, with maximal intersectional inclusion, there would still be people who had a negative experience, despite not behaving in anyway that "deserves" punishment or exclusion. (Although, in a truly maximally intersectionally inclusive world, it could be argued that no one would "deserve" punishment or exclusion... It depends on whether there is any real possibility of educating and socialising out intolerance in others, which is very much the "elephant in the room" of sociological debate, and outside the scope of this blog.)
The social model of disability's first fumble is that it doesn't really know what to do about people with disabilities so severe they are completely and fully dependent on others; the social model is, at its core, the creation of middle-class, moderate-impact disabled people, often representative of demographics with considerable social privilege outside of being disabled people.
This mindset creates the second fumble, which is the social model's assumption that businesses and governments have unlimited resources, which they can divert at will, with immediately-achievable positive results. This, understandably, increases resistance to any inclusion, and furthers resentment against all disabled people, because the perception of businesses and governments is that "clueless entitlement" is ignoring any realities of experience beyond its own. And humans have always responded to a perception that we're being ignored by lashing out at, and, where we can, making life more difficult for, the people we believe are ignoring us.
The inclusive design and inclusive practice focus of The Productive Pessimist would seem, at first glance, to be very much promoting the interests of the social model of disability, but that's never been how I (Ash) work; I've always focused on combining things, to create something that is greater, and more impactful, than the sum of its parts, and that's what the inclusive design and practice aspects of the work I do with The Productive Pessimist centres; the combining of the needs and realities of the systemically marginalised, of all groups, and the needs and realities of the systems, and representatives of systems, which appear to be responsible for that marginalisation.
I live life as a dialogue, not an argument or a monologue, and I lead The Productive Pessimist to ensure we do business in the same way - talking with people, not "to" them, or "at" them. (Most people have grasped why "talking at" is bad, but we're not quite seeing why "talking to" isn't as neutral as we think it is.)
Even in the most perfect, fully inclusive, social-model-informed world, I would still experience exclusion because I am blind.
That is not a "barrier society has created!" - it is a physical fact that creates its own barriers.
. There is no way I can safely drive independently. (Even self-driving cars, the advancement of cybernetics to a point where "I" could inhabit a cyborg body which would "drive" the car, demand a level of physical sight of the landscape, and other vehicles in the landscape, at bare minimum to facilitate an emergency evasive response to dynamic traffic behaviour and landscape changes.)
. One day, probably within the next 10-15yrs, according to medical estimates, I will no longer be able to have a visual experience of the world around me. I am fortunate; I had 35 years before I began to noticably lose my sight. That's three and a half decades of experiencing the world, and building up a memory-and-association map of it. As long as the world remains mostly as it has been for most of my life, I'll be able to have some level of experience of it - but never a visual one. (It doesn't help that I also have aphantasia - I can't "picture things in my mind's eye"; this means even the most detailed audio descriptions of things, even when they can be enhanced by other sensory experience, don't really coalesce into a meaningful image for me. Interestingly, I feel that the aphantasia began around 1-2years before I began to significantly lose my sight; that may be incidental, or it may simply be that, with less physical sight, I noticed the lack of mental sight more.)
. There are certain things I literally cannot do on a computer, mostly around graphic representation and manipulation. AI can help with some aspects of this, but not all, and, of course, AI is currently very controversial, so it's advisable to err on the side of caution, and not use it. Even if that means I have to say "I'm sorry, I can't do XYZ."
. I currently can't read any hardcopy printed material without my glasses, I can't read a significant amount of it with them, and, in about 10yrs, at most, I've been told I won't be able to read any hardcopy printed material, even with my glasses. There's nothing anyone can do about that, and some things will need to be presented in hardcopy format, even with computers having the prominence - and dominance - they enjoy.
. I can't easily or safely navigate in unfamiliar physical locations. No amount of tactile paving or audible signage will help with that. (Not least because I also have mild hearing loss, and APD, so audible signage would just make things worse, probably!) Plus, these things would be incredibly expensive to install and maintain sufficiently to have a fully inclusive, positive influence. That would mean putting up taxes, which would mean wages would have to rise to cover the tax rises, which would put an intolerable strain on small businesses...
These things that I can't do will not suddenly become things I can do if society just becomes inclusive enough.
They are not the fault of "systemic barriers" - they're nobody's "fault". They just are. A neutral, if somewhat frustrating, reality.
The social model can't do much about them.
Inclusive design and inclusive practice can.
Inclusive Design
. Locates business and social venues in well-lit areas, well-served by public transport, with broad, level-paved pavements leading to, from, and around them, and arranges shifts and sessions around the public transport which serves the area regularly.
. Public transport provides specialist transit vehicles that solely accommodate wheelchairs and mobility vehicles, while the "regular" vehicles have more than one accessible space, include audible time-tables, supported by large-text, high-contrast display, with an overview of commonly-visited areas alongside their closest stop, and disabled people are prioritised for seating, including drivers taking direct action where required. Single seats are provided in equal numbers, across both upper and lower decks, to double seats, and there are accessible luggage bays for ALL seats, which, at minimum, can accommodate a standard shopping trolley bag, with all vehicles being smooth-floor level access, without the need for a ramp to allow wheelchairs and mobility scooters on board.
. Public transport stops provide large-print, wider-destination-linked timetables, which also have a Braille and audio version, immediately beside the printed timetable. Printed and Braille timetables are updated ahead of schedule changes coming into force.
. Spaces are well-lit, uncrowded, with clear "transition warnings" in the form of tactile surfaces. Necessities - bar, toilet facilities, exits - are all in sight-line, along uncluttered pathlines, from the main space, and tactile surfaces leading to them, with these surfaces being different, and introduced by both large-print and audio introduction (which can be as simple as a person identifying that "the carpet leads to the bar, the foam leads to the toilets, the wooden boards lead to the fire exit"), and, where the event cannot be in a single-storey, ground floor building, a venue with a working, large lift is chosen, or the main social element of the event is located in a ground-floor, level-access space of the building, so that those unable to manage stairs do not miss out on the predominant focus of the event.
. Identifies toilet facilities as "has urinals" and "does not have urinals", rather than "men" and "women", and is conscious of the fact that some men will not be able to use urinals - so defaulting to "well, we're saying this to be inclusive, but, obvs, the one with the urinals is for the men!", and ensures designated "disabled" facilities can comfortably accommodate a large, power-assisted wheelchair and a carer, with space for movement around the space in often non-standard ways.
Inclusive Practice
. Asks someone what their communication method is. Not "preferred" communication method - their communication method. Mine is writing, although I'm having to become more confident and comfortable with verbal, because of my sight loss; my response to "What communication method do you use?" would be
The inclusive design and inclusive practice focus of The Productive Pessimist would seem, at first glance, to be very much promoting the interests of the social model of disability, but that's never been how I (Ash) work; I've always focused on combining things, to create something that is greater, and more impactful, than the sum of its parts, and that's what the inclusive design and practice aspects of the work I do with The Productive Pessimist centres; the combining of the needs and realities of the systemically marginalised, of all groups, and the needs and realities of the systems, and representatives of systems, which appear to be responsible for that marginalisation.
I live life as a dialogue, not an argument or a monologue, and I lead The Productive Pessimist to ensure we do business in the same way - talking with people, not "to" them, or "at" them. (Most people have grasped why "talking at" is bad, but we're not quite seeing why "talking to" isn't as neutral as we think it is.)
Even in the most perfect, fully inclusive, social-model-informed world, I would still experience exclusion because I am blind.
That is not a "barrier society has created!" - it is a physical fact that creates its own barriers.
. There is no way I can safely drive independently. (Even self-driving cars, the advancement of cybernetics to a point where "I" could inhabit a cyborg body which would "drive" the car, demand a level of physical sight of the landscape, and other vehicles in the landscape, at bare minimum to facilitate an emergency evasive response to dynamic traffic behaviour and landscape changes.)
. One day, probably within the next 10-15yrs, according to medical estimates, I will no longer be able to have a visual experience of the world around me. I am fortunate; I had 35 years before I began to noticably lose my sight. That's three and a half decades of experiencing the world, and building up a memory-and-association map of it. As long as the world remains mostly as it has been for most of my life, I'll be able to have some level of experience of it - but never a visual one. (It doesn't help that I also have aphantasia - I can't "picture things in my mind's eye"; this means even the most detailed audio descriptions of things, even when they can be enhanced by other sensory experience, don't really coalesce into a meaningful image for me. Interestingly, I feel that the aphantasia began around 1-2years before I began to significantly lose my sight; that may be incidental, or it may simply be that, with less physical sight, I noticed the lack of mental sight more.)
. There are certain things I literally cannot do on a computer, mostly around graphic representation and manipulation. AI can help with some aspects of this, but not all, and, of course, AI is currently very controversial, so it's advisable to err on the side of caution, and not use it. Even if that means I have to say "I'm sorry, I can't do XYZ."
. I currently can't read any hardcopy printed material without my glasses, I can't read a significant amount of it with them, and, in about 10yrs, at most, I've been told I won't be able to read any hardcopy printed material, even with my glasses. There's nothing anyone can do about that, and some things will need to be presented in hardcopy format, even with computers having the prominence - and dominance - they enjoy.
. I can't easily or safely navigate in unfamiliar physical locations. No amount of tactile paving or audible signage will help with that. (Not least because I also have mild hearing loss, and APD, so audible signage would just make things worse, probably!) Plus, these things would be incredibly expensive to install and maintain sufficiently to have a fully inclusive, positive influence. That would mean putting up taxes, which would mean wages would have to rise to cover the tax rises, which would put an intolerable strain on small businesses...
These things that I can't do will not suddenly become things I can do if society just becomes inclusive enough.
They are not the fault of "systemic barriers" - they're nobody's "fault". They just are. A neutral, if somewhat frustrating, reality.
The social model can't do much about them.
Inclusive design and inclusive practice can.
Inclusive Design
. Locates business and social venues in well-lit areas, well-served by public transport, with broad, level-paved pavements leading to, from, and around them, and arranges shifts and sessions around the public transport which serves the area regularly.
. Public transport provides specialist transit vehicles that solely accommodate wheelchairs and mobility vehicles, while the "regular" vehicles have more than one accessible space, include audible time-tables, supported by large-text, high-contrast display, with an overview of commonly-visited areas alongside their closest stop, and disabled people are prioritised for seating, including drivers taking direct action where required. Single seats are provided in equal numbers, across both upper and lower decks, to double seats, and there are accessible luggage bays for ALL seats, which, at minimum, can accommodate a standard shopping trolley bag, with all vehicles being smooth-floor level access, without the need for a ramp to allow wheelchairs and mobility scooters on board.
. Public transport stops provide large-print, wider-destination-linked timetables, which also have a Braille and audio version, immediately beside the printed timetable. Printed and Braille timetables are updated ahead of schedule changes coming into force.
. Spaces are well-lit, uncrowded, with clear "transition warnings" in the form of tactile surfaces. Necessities - bar, toilet facilities, exits - are all in sight-line, along uncluttered pathlines, from the main space, and tactile surfaces leading to them, with these surfaces being different, and introduced by both large-print and audio introduction (which can be as simple as a person identifying that "the carpet leads to the bar, the foam leads to the toilets, the wooden boards lead to the fire exit"), and, where the event cannot be in a single-storey, ground floor building, a venue with a working, large lift is chosen, or the main social element of the event is located in a ground-floor, level-access space of the building, so that those unable to manage stairs do not miss out on the predominant focus of the event.
. Identifies toilet facilities as "has urinals" and "does not have urinals", rather than "men" and "women", and is conscious of the fact that some men will not be able to use urinals - so defaulting to "well, we're saying this to be inclusive, but, obvs, the one with the urinals is for the men!", and ensures designated "disabled" facilities can comfortably accommodate a large, power-assisted wheelchair and a carer, with space for movement around the space in often non-standard ways.
Inclusive Practice
. Asks someone what their communication method is. Not "preferred" communication method - their communication method. Mine is writing, although I'm having to become more confident and comfortable with verbal, because of my sight loss; my response to "What communication method do you use?" would be
"I am far more comfortable and confident communicating in writing, and would prefer this, where possible, when people are communicating to me; however, my sight loss means I am in the process of transitioning to verbal communication, as I recognise this will be quicker, and therefore more respectful of the limitations of others' time; at the moment, I'm not as comfortable or confident with verbal communication, and my communication style is quite direct; because I am not as skilled with verbal communication, I may come across as abrupt or aggressive, which is rarely my true intent, and for which I apologise in advance, as I recognise it my have a negative impact on others. Owing to mild hearing loss and APD, I would need verbal communication to be in person, rather than over the phone."
. Asks people - including those who do not appear disabled - "What do you need in order to do your best work?", and making that happen wherever possible. (Pro tip: movable, opaque screens are a way of meeting a need for someone to have a private, self-contained workspace where the limitations of an existing building structure would not allow for a variable presentation of private rooms and open spaces.)
. Does not occupy all the space. Crowded, cluttered spaces are distressing for people with neurodivergent conditions, they are a nightmare to navigate in a wheelchair, or using a mobility aid, they are disorientating for people with visual impairments, and make processing verbal aspects difficult for people with hearing impairments. Keeps central and pathway areas clear (including clear of people who are merely "congregating"), space out delegate stands, tables and other furniture, A-boards, interactive elements, etc.
. Ensures there are quiet congregational spaces, including some separate from the main event venue, where people can "reset and recharge" from particularly busy events. Makes sure the focus of these spaces is respected.
This is a very short glimpse into the broad-brushstrokes of inclusive design and inclusive practice. For full-spectrum inclusion, inclusive design and practice will often need a significant degree of tailoring to individual business', organisations', and teams' situations and limitations - which is exactly what we offer with The Productive Pessimist Ltd, starting from just £45.00
Want to schedule your support? Email us: theproductivepessimist@yahoo.com
. Asks people - including those who do not appear disabled - "What do you need in order to do your best work?", and making that happen wherever possible. (Pro tip: movable, opaque screens are a way of meeting a need for someone to have a private, self-contained workspace where the limitations of an existing building structure would not allow for a variable presentation of private rooms and open spaces.)
. Does not occupy all the space. Crowded, cluttered spaces are distressing for people with neurodivergent conditions, they are a nightmare to navigate in a wheelchair, or using a mobility aid, they are disorientating for people with visual impairments, and make processing verbal aspects difficult for people with hearing impairments. Keeps central and pathway areas clear (including clear of people who are merely "congregating"), space out delegate stands, tables and other furniture, A-boards, interactive elements, etc.
. Ensures there are quiet congregational spaces, including some separate from the main event venue, where people can "reset and recharge" from particularly busy events. Makes sure the focus of these spaces is respected.
This is a very short glimpse into the broad-brushstrokes of inclusive design and inclusive practice. For full-spectrum inclusion, inclusive design and practice will often need a significant degree of tailoring to individual business', organisations', and teams' situations and limitations - which is exactly what we offer with The Productive Pessimist Ltd, starting from just £45.00
Want to schedule your support? Email us: theproductivepessimist@yahoo.com
Comments
Post a Comment