Community at Action: Disability in the Archives
This Collection is made up of three archive films from the 1980s and early 90s, all thematically threaded by the fight for Disabled liberation through social and policy influence. These films embody different interpretations of community-led action and the various forms they can take, subverting “traditional” methods of activism and action, i.e. demonstrations, which are often inaccessible to disabled people. ‘Disability in the Archives’ challenges the misnomer that archival representation of disability is always framed from a pitiful perspective. These films centre the voices and autonomy of disabled people, showcasing community at action.
🎵“I want choices and rights in my life”🎵
The Disabling Council is a training video made up of different interviews with disabled people working in local Government. Released in 1987, this video was originally released with embedded subtitles, British Sign Language interpretation, and breaks the conventions of ‘traditional’ training videos on equality by interweaving Disabled-led song performance and comedy stand-up, offering a humorous, off-beat delivery of disability awareness. This video focuses on the Social Model of Disability, recognising disability as being caused by societal and physical barriers.
A View From Inside was produced by a small group of individuals experiencing mental illness, expressing their experiences of the mental health system through personal interviews and their own dramatic improvisations. People with mental health conditions are often medicalised by wider society, and aren’t always recognised as being disabled by societal barriers, such as a lack of access to adequate healthcare and services. The inclusion of A View From Inside within this Collection supports us to broaden our lens on disability representation in archive, in line with the Social Model.
Broadcast by Channel 4 in 1985, Beyond Our Ken consists of interviews with a range of community groups in Greenwich and Lewisham, who discuss the impact of recent Greater London Council funding and policy changes under the then-Labour administration. This tape emphasises how cuts to crucial services, such as accessible transport, further isolate marginalised communities. This archival video demonstrates the importance of intersectional-led community action, how Disabled people can’t be truly liberated until all marginalised people are liberated.
This Collection offers a brief insight into some of the issues faced by disabled people forty years ago, reminding us that these same issues still persist today. Reflecting on archival records of disability advocacy and the different forms community-led action and activism take offers us an opportunity to hold space for this history and legacy. It allows us to draw inspiration on how we can use community-led action to confront the increasing attacks on Disabled and marginalised communities happening today.
Charlie Little (they/she) is a queer, deafblind film programmer with a specialised interest in disability cinema. They have programmed for festivals such as BFI’s We Crip Film and Scottish Queer International Film Festival (SQIFF). They are a co-programmer for Deaf Action’s BSL Film Club and for Leith Kino, a community pop-up cinema based in Leith, Edinburgh.
Find more information on Charlie’s website.