Visibility of dis/ability : Capturing shadows of ableism and disablism through a Photovoice-based approach

Abstract

This master’s thesis explores the experiences of ableism and disablism through an arts based inquiry. The thesis aims to promote connections between people with different abilities and to form social capital. The research questions are: 1) What kinds of experiences of ableism and disablism can be recognised in and through a Photovoice-based approach?; 2) In what ways social capital between people with different abilities could be advanced in and through Photovoice based workshops?

The conceptual framework for the study relies on critical disability studies that seek to challenge normative conceptions around body and mind and examine how society has constructed disability. It is a call for rethinking who is considered able or independent and examine how society marginalizes disabled individuals. This research was carried out as a qualitative study using an art based research method, the Photovoice. The medium was part of a participatory research design in which participants documented their reality and collectively reflected on their experiences through pictures. The data analysis was done by applying qualitative content analysis.

The findings revealed a range of experiences on how ableism and disablism manifest in everyday life, including examples from urban structural inequalities to ableist and disablist ways of thinking and acting. Moreover, the participants reflected on ways for living all interdependently together while celebrating the diversity of all. Collective thinking and equal participation of all, were the most significant elements. Based on the findings, I suggest that arts based inquiry has potentials for developing social capital between people with different abilities.