Disability Arts History Australia

Items

• “Melbourne venue guides published in the 1990s”
  Arts Access Victoria published the ‘Melbourne Venue Guide: A Description of Access for People with Disabilities to Some of Melbourne's Major Entertainment Venues’ in 1992. They published an updated guide in 1998: ‘The Vic Venue Guide: A Guide to Access and Facilities at Over 75 Victorian Entertainment, Sporting and Cultural Venues’. This updated guide was produced in conjunction with VicHealth and supported by Arts Victoria. The guide provided information about where to make bookings, parking and public transport, facilities and access for disabled patrons, and seating.
• “The national tour of the exhibition BodySuits results in commissions and new opportunities for artists”
  A visual arts exhibition, BodySuits, toured nationally between 1997 and 1999. It was curated by Jane Trengove. This resulted in commissions and new opportunities for artists. Arts Access Victoria published a catalogue for the exhibition in 1997; the exhibition showed in Melbourne from 5 July - 2 August 1997 at 200 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy (a location now known as Gertrude Contemporary).
• “Deaf Arts Network (DAN) established in 2000”
  The Deaf Arts Network (DAN) was established with the aid of Arts Access Victoria in Melbourne in 2000. DAN “is dedicated to increasing the participation of deaf and hard of hearing people in the arts as artists, arts workers and audiences. […] DAN provides an authentic and unique cultural voice for the deaf community, a community historically marginalised from participation in the arts.”
• “The documentary series ‘You Can't Ask That’ premieres in 2016”
  The ABC started a documentary series in 2016 called ‘You Can't Ask That,’ which asks "outrageous, uncomfortable and shocking questions to uncover the truth behind some of the most marginalised and misunderstood Australians." The series has featured episodes focused on people with short stature, Downs syndrome, schizophrenia, and autism, Deaf people, blind people, and wheelchair users.
• “Auslan features intermittently on Australian television throughout the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s”
  Auslan appeared intermittently on Australian television throughout the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s. Ana Maria Belo has curated a video compilation of scenes featuring Auslan. Belo calls it “a very brief history lesson on Deaf Actors on Australian Television before Social Media.” As she explains, “this is not a complete list of performances, but a nod to the actors who blazed a mighty trail for those of us who attempt to follow.”
• "Dr G. Yunupingu plays keyboards, guitar and percussion on Yothu Yindi's 'Treaty'"
  Geoffery Gurrumul Yunupingu, an indigenous Australian from the Gumati Clan on Echo Island, was a blind musician, singer and song writer. As a child taught himself to play a guitar "upside down". He started as a guitarist, key board player and percussionist for the pop/rock band Yothu Yindi who had the international hit "Treaty" in 1991.
• “In 2003, a demonstration outside Canberra’s Parliament House protests changes to Centrelink guidelines”
  In 2003, the Totally and Permanently Incapacitated Disabled Soldiers Association staged a protest outside Parliament House in Canberra, over changes to Centrelink guidelines that could have cost them up to $200 per week in income. “He said in Parliament that our payments are adequate, he's somebody who has never had the time to speak to us,” Association President John Ryan remarked of then Prime Minister John Howard.
• "The United Nations makes comments on the rights of people with disabilities."
  In 1951, the United Nations made comments on the rights of people with disabilities."The focus of the United Nations on disability issues shifted in the late 1950s from a welfare perspective to one of social welfare."
• “Lesley Hall leads a protest of the Miss Victoria Quest beauty contest”
  In 1981, Lesley Hall and a group of disability activists protested at the Miss Victoria Beauty Quest (a beauty pagent that was a fundraiser for the Spastic Society in Victoria). The focus on physical perfections was seen “as the norm all must attain if they are to be fully accepted into society”. The protests raised much media attention and marked the beginning of a shift in thinking about the place in Australian society of people with disabilities.
• “The Asia-Pacific Wataboshi festival comes to Brisbane”
  Hosted by Arts Access Qld, in 2003, the Asia-Pacific Wataboshi festival was brought to Brisbane with the aim to raise the profile of disability arts. David Helfgott was the ambassador.
• “80 wheelchair users and allies halt Melbourne trams, demanding better access to public transportation”
  In a 2000 demonstration organised by the Catch a Tram group, 80 wheelchair users and their allies halted city trams in Melbourne during lunch hours, demanding better access to public transportation.
• “Writeability (VIC) is established in 2012”
  The Writeability program was established in 2012, beginning as a partnership between Writers Victoria and Arts Access Victoria. "Writeability program supports writers with disability wanting to develop their skills and writing careers." It aims to remove barriers and provide information, resources, and fellowships so disabled writers can “tell their own stories in their own way”.
• Bell Shakespeare Company
• IHOS Opera
• Microcare
• Victorian Theatre of the Deaf
• Barkly Regional Arts
• "Interview with CB Mako"
  CB Mako is a non-fiction, fiction and fanfiction writer and disability advocate. Interview Summary cubbie||CB Mako is a creative practitioner and disability advocate who emphasizes the importance of accessibility in the arts, advocating for digital inclusivity and the elimination of ableist practices. cubbie pushes for systemic change so that future generations, like their disabled child, don't have to fight for access to art and literature. Success for cubbie is defined by the progress made when institutions include disability in their funding, competitions, and programming. Using the pen name CB Mako and going by pronouns cubbie/they/them, urges non-disabled artists, particularly from communities of colour, to proactively incorporate access in their work.
• “Arts Access Victoria Connecting to Country 2018 Invitation”
• Brigid Hanrahan
• Film Australia Limited
• "Interview with Daniel Savage"
  Daniel Savage is an artist and disability advocate working in mediums of photography, video and performance. Interview Summary: Daniel discussed his background as a disabled contemporary artist primarily focused on photography, with additional interests in video and performance. Daniel detailed the journey through his artistic career, highlighting significant experiences such as art school education, early influences, and the impact of acquiring a disability. He also explored the evolution of his style and interests, particularly his shift towards digital technology and his involvement in advocacy for accessibility in the arts. Daniel also shared his perspectives on the challenges and achievements within the disability arts scene in Australia, including public awareness and integration with contemporary art.
• "Interview with Michelle Ryan"
  Michelle Ryan is the artistic director of Restless Dance Theatre and has extensive experience as a dancer and performer. Interview Summary Michelle Ryan, the artistic director of Restless Dance Theatre, shares her journey from being a successful dancer diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at 30 to becoming an advocate for artists with disabilities. Despite her initial hesitations to perform with her disability, a positive experience dancing with a European company reignited her passion and led her to Restless Dance Theatre, where she aims to change perceptions of who can create art. Michelle emphasizes the importance of providing professional opportunities and proper compensation for disabled artists, challenging the notion that disability work is charity or hobbyist. She advocates for representation that is genuine and not tokenistic, ensuring the inclusion of people with disabilities is meaningful and respectful.
• “Deaf activist and artist Asphyxia creates a music course and accessible music app for D/deaf people”
  Asphyxia, a profoundly Deaf Australian activist, artist, author and composer created a music course (2020) for people who are D/deaf and Hard of Hearing to write their own music. In 2023, Asphyxia also created an app called Amplio to make music more accessible to D/deaf people.
• “WHO International Classification of Impairment, Disabilities and Handicaps (1976)”
  International classification of impairments, disabilities, and handicaps: a manual of classification relating to the consequences of disease, published in accordance with resolution WHA29.35 of the Twenty-ninth World Health Assembly, May 1976