Being Different (7); They Do Not Accept Me as a Woman

A limiting label generously given to the disabled or those with 'special needs'; a term to describe all those whose physical or mental conditions differ from the tables and frameworks that define the characteristics of the 'standard human': the term or label 'abnormal'. 'Abnormal' is the title of Dr. Ju Gosling's most famous exhibition, as well as the main title of his critical book on the public approach to the issue of disability. Ju Gosling, a British photographer and journalist, has been using a wheelchair for decades, since his youth when the condition of Scheuermann's disease severely altered and curved his spine. Over the years, however, Ju Gosling has become a well-known figure in the social and artistic movement for the disabled. His personal website is a labyrinth that you cannot easily escape; from his numerous articles, you are thrown into his art exhibition pages, photos, drawings, digital installations, and links to books, articles, and photos. One of these is an image of a group dance of wheelchair users that Ju Gosling designed using English folk music, and in other works, he discusses the concepts of 'normal' and 'abnormal' and their reflections in his art. In the seventh part of the 'Being Different' series, Ju Gosling shares his life experiences and views on disability. Visual report: Being Different (7); They Do Not Accept Me as a Woman. Dr. Ju Gosling, I think you can be called a rebellious artist. Your art, your writings, and your approach to the issue of disability fundamentally differ from the mental constructs of the majority of society. Understanding this perspective is not simple when you rebel against concepts like disability or abnormality. What do you want to convey to your audience? My perspective may be different, but it is based on scientific realities. Disabled individuals are by no means 'abnormal'; in fact, they make up 25 percent of the population. Accidents, diseases, and the effects of war and poverty indicate the reality that we will always exist. Many people become disabled at some point in their lives, and everyone surely has someone in their family who will one day become disabled. However, Western society continues to deny this issue. Our surroundings are filled with images that define 'normality', yet none of these images and constructs are 'normal'. We continue to build homes and workplaces as if we always have the same abilities and physical characteristics. We still publish books and magazines as if everyone has perfect vision. We do not consider those with hearing impairments at all and do not say that we need to provide subtitles for television and cinema programs because of them, and... With such an approach, it is actually we who make ourselves 'disabled'. Last year, at an exhibition titled 'Disabled by Normal Type' held in Prague, I saw your works for the first time, a series of designs titled 'Helping the Disabled Individual'. With a few artistic frames, you challenged the role of charities and the medical system in this regard and argued that their approach is the reason for the marginalization of 'disabled' individuals and those labeled as 'abnormal'. Let's open this up. How do systems like medicine or charity, which intend to help 'disabled' individuals, function counterproductively in your view? In the model that medicine presents of disability, disabled individuals are defined solely based on their medical conditions, whereas the issues and weaknesses of disabled individuals are only part of their identity. We see that the rest of the world follows this model, and for this reason, disabled individuals are usually considered as if there is something wrong with them. Similarly, the model that charities present of disability is problematic because, according to this model, disabled individuals are dependent on others. Disabled individuals are portrayed as needing 'help' from non-disabled individuals to survive. However, what disabled individuals often need is a change in attitudes and behaviors so that we can eliminate the social, behavioral, and environmental barriers we face. For example, a charity may help a disabled individual by covering clothing costs, but the reality is that the disabled individual can earn an income for themselves, provided that employers do not fire them because they have now become disabled, regardless of whether they can still perform that job excellently. We seek rights, not charity. Statistics show that very few charity workers are disabled themselves, and of course, this leads to non-disabled individuals deciding what disabled individuals need and who 'deserves' help, which perpetuates and exacerbates the marginalization of disabled individuals. Another issue with charities is that their interests require disabled individuals to remain in a dependent position so that charity workers can keep their jobs. Abnormal 1 - a design based on the outdated and obsolete belief that 'less developed humans resemble humans less'. Again, one of your photos in the 'Abnormal' exhibition, accompanied by a text, provides a different interpretation of the majority's 'normal' society's encounter with the issue of disability and fear of it, a photo titled 'Abnormal 1' showing a semi-nude woman wearing an animal mask based on this conscious or unconscious belief that 'less developed humans resemble humans less'. What characteristics should a human possess in your view? Science tells us that we all share a similar human ancestry; any manifestation of differences among us is merely superficial. Yet we still cling to 19th-century science that claimed (mostly) white Europeans were superior to all, and everyone else, including disabled individuals, was considered inferior. I cannot issue a decree on what characteristics humanity 'should' have, but what seems important to me is the importance of imagination and, specifically, the necessity for humans to be able to envision that the world can be different and the effort that can be made to achieve this. We often regard art as something inferior to other academic subjects and fields of study. However, imagination is a key issue for any scientific and political advancement that has occurred to date. Perhaps the most controversial issue you have raised in your art and writings is genetic modification or engineering, which you strongly oppose. Proponents of genetic engineering argue that it may prevent the birth of a disabled person and the suffering of them and their families. What is your argument? In fact, we are dealing with two different issues here. 'Genetic engineering' has primarily come about so that parents can have a child that survives rather than a child that dies due to genetic conditions in the womb or at birth. In fact, the majority of parents of disabled children cherish every moment of life with them and say that if their children had died, their lives would have been empty and meaningless. I know many adults who others might think would be better off dead, but they actually love every day of life they can have and insist that their lives are truly valuable. The reality is that life is full of suffering and hardship, and it is also full of joy and hope. If we think science can save us from this, we are actually closing our eyes to the truth. Let's talk about you and your personal experience. Ju Gosling has come a long way since he was forced to use a wheelchair. I cannot accept that you had this perspective from the very beginning. Describe the journey and feelings you had at the beginning and in the middle of this process. The model that charities present of disability is problematic because, according to this model, disabled individuals are dependent on others. Disabled individuals are portrayed as needing 'help' from non-disabled individuals to survive, whereas what disabled individuals often need is a change in attitudes and behaviors so that we can eliminate the social, behavioral, and environmental barriers we face. I think anyone who becomes disabled initially seeks a 'cure' because we have been taught to seek such a thing. We do not accept the reality that we are disabled because the images of disabled individuals we see around us are far from reality. In any case, this process is accompanied by intense isolation and despair. When I reached this understanding and realization that I am disabled and shared my experiences with others, I felt a deep sense of peace, and that was when I became familiar with the policies and philosophy of the disability movement. I am very pleased that since then, I have been able to contribute to discussions around the world regarding the nature of disability and thus help in a better understanding of disability as a social, political, and economic concept. You have dedicated your art to the issue of disability. Why? It seems that everything drives you to create concepts related to this subject. What about other human issues? Artists create their works about the world we observe around us and provide a unique perspective on it. My special concern is the disabled lesbian woman. Aside from that, the subjects of my artistic work, like those of all artists, include birth, death, the human-constructed environment and the natural environment, social relationships, and more. At the same time, it is entirely possible to interpret my works from a gender perspective or related to human rights and other issues. Although the art world tends to limit us to a specific framework, for example, this 'artist' is only for men and women who are attracted to the opposite sex, or that you must choose to be an artist specifically for 'gays', 'blacks', 'disabled', 'women', or anyone else. And of course, the view of disabled individuals is such that they are seen as lacking sexual attraction and power. For this reason, the criticisms directed at me are from a gender perspective to thus ignore my art because they do not accept me as a woman. Let’s talk about some of your specific tools in life, such as the wheelchair that you spend many hours on each day. I would like to know how you feel about these objects. Has an emotional relationship developed between you and these objects such that you cannot imagine yourself apart from them? The majority of parents of disabled children cherish every moment of life with them and say that if their children had died, their lives would have been empty and meaningless. I know many adults who others might think would be better off dead, but they actually love every day of life they can have. Assistive technologies for disabled individuals are really no different from tools like a mobile phone or a laptop in that we also develop emotional relationships with these tools. Just as I need a wheelchair to pursue my tasks, I similarly need a functioning laptop or phone. The issue that probably complicates and makes these relationships more difficult is their design. Assistive technologies for disabled individuals are very expensive, but often of low quality, and the cheapest parts are used to manufacture them to maximize profit. Therefore, your relationship with the best type of an automatic wheelchair compared to the latest model of an iPhone can be more frustrating, or perhaps not. And how would you see yourself without a wheelchair? Happier? More successful? How do you see being different in this world? Difficult and frightening? I see myself as unable to travel long distances without a wheelchair; I would tire quickly and cannot sit comfortably anywhere unless it is a special chair. Therefore, I would not be happier or more successful; rather, the exact opposite is true. The reality is that I am not different at all, or if I am different, it is because of my genes and life experience, not because I use a wheelchair. There are thousands of people like us in society, and whenever a shopping center or a social place is accessible to us, you can see us there, of course, if this issue matters to you. Ihsan Abadi. Ihsan Abadi began his media activities in 1379 (2000) with the literature and art pages of Tehran's printed newspapers. He is a graduate in social sciences and the author of books in the field of literature. He joined the editorial team of Radio Farda in Prague in winter 1391 (2012), and the 'Being Different' series is among his programs at this media outlet, a series that seeks a different perspective on issues such as disability or the concepts of normal and abnormal. He has also published notes and reports in Radio Farda in the fields of books, literature, and art.