People with learning disabilities and access to mainstream arts and culture: A participatory action research approach

Abstract

Accessible summary• Ten people with learning disabilities were trained to work with a university to carry out research about people with learning disabilities, arts and culture.• They spoke to 82 people with learning disabilities to find out what gets in the way of attending arts and culture activities.• The research found that transport, cost and needing support often got in the way of people being able to go to activities and people needed to feel safe and welcomed when they attend an arts and culture activity.• It was found that including more people with learning disabilities in making decisions about art and culture could help more people attend activities. It was also found that involving more people with learning disabilities in training people who work in arts and culture could help people feel safe when they go to activities. AbstractBackground: Arts and culture have proven benefits. However, access to arts and culture is not consistent. For people with learning disabilities, arts and culture are often considered therapeutic activities, and therefore, the needs of people with learning disabilities in accessing mainstream arts and culture are often overlooked. This research explores how people with learning disabilities experience culture, the barriers they experience in accessing it and how cultural sector organisations can improve access to their activities and events. Methods:A participatory action research approach was adopted for the study.Interviews and focus groups were conducted. The findings were analysed and resulting themes discussed with the peer research team. The group codelivered a workshop aimed at representatives from the cultural sector to share their findings. Results:The results from the focus groups and interviews indicated that for people with learning disabilities, community is central to their experience of arts and culture.The study found that transport, cost and needing support to attend cultural activities were barriers to access, whereas consideration of physical access and "emotional access" needs improved access for people with learning disabilities. Recommendations include improved consultation with people with learning disabilities about cultural opportunities and the formation of cocreated training delivered with people with learning disabilities to support cultural sector staff to offer a warm and safe environment. Conclusions:The findings from the study provided useful learning for cultural sector organisations. However, both the findings of the research and the process of | 107 GRATTON

The ontology and epistemology shaping our understanding of inclusion: A critical review of the research literature on disability and inclusion

“…Even fewer studies included people with disability as researchers or had reported evidence of consultation with people with disability in the design and conduct of the research. Gratton (2020) trained 10 people with intellectual disabilities and then conducted research with 82 people with disability. These researchers recommended that people with disability should be similarly engaged in consultation on policies and programs that concern them.…”

Rethinking and Advancing a ‘Bottom-up’ Approach to Cultural Participation of Persons with Disabilities as Key to Realising Inclusive Equality

“…For Darke (2003, p. 132) disability art is 'not to be seen as an equal opportunities issue', but as part of a process of re-presenting a more accurate picture of 'society, life, disability and impairment and art itself', and it is based on legitimising the experience of people with disabilities 'as equal within art and all other cultural practices'. While medicalised (Bang and Kim, 2015;Gratton, 2020) and charitable perceptions of disability continue to hamper creation by artists with disabilities (Darke, 2003, p. 133), people with disabilities use cultural interventions in order to subvert and query the meanings given to disability ('tragedy, loss, dependency'), and 'disability culture emerges as a counterculture' (Kuppers, 2003, p. 6). For Hadley and McDonald (2019, p. 2), the growing field of disability art, culture and media studies engages with the stories told about what it means to be disabled in drama, dance, film, literature, media and other artforms, and also with how workers in these industries 'are developing new accounts of what it means to be disabled'.…”

Barriers and Facilitators to Cultural Participation by People with Disabilities: A Narrative Literature Review

“…Lack of accessible information, transport, and support to reach cultural venues represent further barriers. For example, reports suggest that ongoing barriers include transportation issues, price of tickets, and lack of information and support at venues (Gratton 2020;Shape 2013). Another report suggests that the cost involved and difficulties with travel are obstacles when it comes to attending arts events, museums, or libraries and that people with disabilities are more likely than others to consider that the types of activities available are not of interest or relevant (BritainThinks 2018; see also Swedish Authority for Participation 2016).…”

“…Finally, factors designed to engage visitors, not just to provide technological solutions, can be facilitative of building a sense of community (Hoyt-O'Brien 2013). For people with ID, to feel safe and welcome in mainstream arts and cultural activities was an important facilitator, and social interaction was central to participants' understanding of culture (Gratton 2020).…”