The Disability and Literature 2013 Class trip to D.C. was such an amazing and informative experience for me. In addition to visiting several amazing museums and viewing mind-blowing artifacts up close, we enjoyed our stay in the comfort of the beautiful Palomar Hotel. Our class spent two days diving deep into the topic of disability and how it has been perceived and handled in society. Washington, D.C. provided the perfect grounds for devoting time to study disability, as it is full of museums and artifacts that intersect with disability culture in a multitude of ways.
On our first evening in D.C., we had dinner with disability advocate Lawrence Carter-Long. Lawrence spoke about how his work in the arts (theater and dance), has influenced and impacted the disabled community. Lawrence’s work with “disTHIS”, which aimed at having several film screenings related to disability, prompted great discussion about the perception of disability in the disabled and non-disabled communities. Lawrence also spoke of his passion for the arts and how being a part of a dance project called “GIMP” allowed him to use dance as a way of expressing himself. As a disability advocate, Lawrence also readily spoke about legislation concerning accommodations for the disabled and what work still needs to be done. To be in Washington, D.C. where politics and legislation live, so to speak, really heightened the conversations we had with Lawrence about what needs to happen next in the Capital to make sure everyone’s needs are met. I found our conversation with Lawrence fascinating and very insightful. It was such an honor to have dinner with Lawrence and to be able to speak one-on-one with him about all the great work he’s done.
We had a fascinating Saturday looking at artifacts that society has developed to police and reshape disability with curator Katherine Ott. After thinking deeply about the artifacts we saw and the history they told, we were allowed to choose a museum of our choice on Sunday to explore concerning disability. We were to go out and ask ourselves “What is this museum saying about disability?”, “How does this museum address accessibility?, and “What does it say about the history of disability in its cultural context”? Among visiting the FDR Memorial, MLK JR. Memorial, and Air and Space museum, I narrowed my focus on the National American Indian Museum. One of the most striking things I found in the museum was how the Native Americans treated disability in their culture. There were several ceremonial dances they would do to gain honor from their community and be seen as worthy of completing certain tasks. I began to wonder how those with physical disabilities, who may not be able to dance, would be seen and interpreted in their communities? How would they go about obtaining honor for themselves and their families if they could not participate in these dances? I also noticed how some Native Americans would dance to also heal the intellectually and physically disabled of their community. The “cure method” was one that was held highly in their communities. It brought me back to how history and society have tried for so long to simply cure those with disabilities rather than try to understand and make accommodations for them. The museum also had small screens for children to watch old Native American folk tales on. One folk tale spoke of a young boy whose face was disfigured and thus was labeled as disabled and unable to accomplish anything in his community. It wasn’t until the Sun God removed the disfiguration on his face(thus removing his disability), that he got friends and even got married to the girl he loved (who had shunned him prior to). Once again, I did some thinking about what these folk tales say about the disabled and how they construct a negative view of them for children at a young age.
Being able to go to D.C. with my Disability and Literature class was one of the best Davidson experiences I’ve ever had. Being able to apply what I’ve been learning in class to something outside of the classroom was both challenging and rewarding. It totally changes your perspective and opens your eyes to the lives of others around you.
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