[Spoons hang in an alternating, locked pattern within a forest of trees. Text overtop reads: Question Access With The Curiosity Paradox.]
Question Access
with The Curiosity Paradox at Vassar College
Whether you came to the live event or are accessing these recordings after the fact, welcome! Thank you for engaging.
This is the companion page for the “Question Access: Standard Access Against Access Art" facilitated session with the cast of Pippin at Vassar College and The Curiosity Paradox on Monday, October 3rd from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EST.
The Curiosity Paradox is available to give consultations, practice accessible meeting spaces, and facilitate more learning sessions. Feel free to schedule time together if you would like to connect, or send us an email: work@TheCuriosityParadox.com.
Feedback.
We invite you to share your experience so that we can continue to improve this work, please submit feedback with this form. If Google Forms is not accessible to you, we will happily offer an alternate format. Contact us.
Recording.
The recording of this session is available in video and audio formats. We celebrate folks who participate with this work asynchronously.
Video on YouTube
Audio Recording in m4a
Session Script
This is the script that was used for our session. Feel free to follow along. If Google Docs is not accessible to you, please let us know and we will happily provide a different format.
Live Responses.
These are the anonymous live responses participants contributed throughout our session.
Please share feelings, sensations, thoughts, or images that come up for you through the first part of our session.
[Colorful boxes with individual long-form responses. Responses read: “I am extremely embarrassed about the lack of access at this school and I wish there was more we students could do to change things here.” “Taking off my shoes during classes is something I normally do but it feels so much safer and normalized to do so in this setting. Taking off shoes also helps me focus weirdly enough.” “The dried plants made me kinda sad but the light blue was nice so it evened out.” “Slay.” “This is such a cozy space, I live for these couches. I wish we had a water cooler for all rehearsals sometimes I forget to drink water so it’s a nice reminder.” “I feel like even when there is a notion of ‘hey this is wrong and it’s affecting the way I or people around me are able to exist’ vassar doesn’t DO anything. I’ve had experiences like this with elevator access and covid restrictions.” “I’m so thankful y’all are here, I wish Vassar had organized something like this for us sooner as I would have felt a lot less alone.” “Shoutout to all the people who feel guilt whenever they ask for accommodations or feel like even though we’re entitled, it feels like more of an inconvenience to able bodied, neurotypical people.” “meetings like this shouldn’t be a rarity.” “The person who mentioned ADA being tacked on at the end so the institution doesn’t get sued is SO disappointingly true. Institutions should have thought these things through from the movement their idea is conceived.” “I really like the idea that you can interrupt, and it is not taken as rude, or disruptive. If someone genuinely wants to understand and learn, sometimes an interruption is necessary. It’s nice to hear smiley face emoticon.” “I really liked the 3rd video I feel like the fact hta people of color who also have disabilities are often overlooked within both white and colored spaces.” “I wish I could speak up when I don’t understand, and wish people would communicate more directly with me.” “Ableism and racism and inherently linked, we can’t separate vassars inaccessibility from the fact that it’s a primarily white institution.” “I think that in many spaces where there is an intersection of like I am a poc AND I am a woman, or I am a person of color AND i am disabled, or I am a poc AND i am low income etc, there is normally just 2 seconds of acknowledgement before moving on.” “‘It’s my job to un-gaslight people.’ Needs to be on a tee shirt.” “I’m finding that I am incredibly uncomfortable with silence.” “We need like … actual breaks.” “Hazelnut Blossom.” “I would like to know more about what makes nonprofits problematic so I can relearn my perception.” “Pushing past our needs is something that is encouraged in this industry. But the art we create can be so much more if we are all getting what we need so we can contribute the things we can.” “I do not know about the nonprofit industrial complex so that one went over my head.” “Access Art is my lifeline.” “I like the idea of change as an act of love heart emoticon.” “Celebrating coming as you are!!! We are so often pushed to give more than we can especially in this industry and in this department.” “Wow, I love the thought of giving caption users what they want!!! Not just what they need! The bare minimum is no longer enough. We should be going above and beyond to create a beautiful experience for everyone.” Makes sense that good access is art. Creativity always makes best solutions.”]
How does this change your understanding of access?
[Colorful boxes with individual long-form answers to the question, “How does this change your understanding of access?” Responses read: “Positive and radical, based on I really appreciate” [sic]. “it puts access barriers in a more well formed capitalist and suprematist context”
Agenda.
Our agendas are relaxed to adapt to in-the-moment access needs. These times are estimates.
7:00 - Soft Arrival
7:05 - 7:08 - Jonathan Introduces The Curiosity Paradox
7:08 - 7:10 - Wiggle Room
7:10 - 7:15 - Access Announcement
7:15 - 7:20 - Share Group's Feelings
7:20 - 7:40 - Flower Arrangements
7:40 - 7:50 - Question Access: Standard Access Against Access Art
7:50 - 8:00 - Quiet Written Responses
8:00 - 8:10 - Break
8:10 - 8:15 - Share Reflections
8:15 - 9:00 - Q&A
Sources and References.
These are a few sources we referenced during our gathering. If we mentioned something that is not on this list, feel free to reach out.
Glossary and Sources
The Curiosity Paradox. "Glossary and Sources." Desire Path Project. https://desirepathproject.com/words.
Definition of ADA (American with Disabilities Act)
The Curiosity Paradox. "Glossary and Sources." Desire Path Project. https://desirepathproject.com/words#ADA.
Question Access
The Curiosity Paradox. “Question Access: Standard Access Against Access Art.” Desire Path Project. https://desirepathproject.com/question.
10 Principles of Disability Justice
Berne, Patricia, and Sins Invalid. “10 Principals of Disability Justice.” Skin, Tooth, and Bone: the Basis of Movement Is Our People: a Disability Justice Primer. Sins Invalid.
Working Definition of Ableism
Lewis, TL. “Working Definition of Ableism - January 2022 Update.” TALILA A. LEWIS, 2022, https://www.talilalewis.com/blog/working-definition-of-ableism-january-2022-update.
Flower Arrangements
The Curiosity Paradox. "Flower Arrangements." Desire Path Project. https://desirepathproject.com/arrangements.
Open Access
Papalia, Carmen. “An Accessibility Manifesto for the Arts.” Canadian Art, Canadian Art, 29 June 2018, https://canadianart.ca/essays/access-revived/.
Alt Text As Poetry
Finnegan, Shannon, and Bojana Coklyat. “Alt Text as Poetry.” Alt Text as Poetry, 2021, https://alt-text-as-poetry.net/.
White Supremacy Culture
Okun, Tema. “White Supremacy Culture.” DRworks, Dismantling Racism Works, 2019, www.dismantlingracism.org/uploads/4/3/5/7/43579015/whitesupcul13.pdf.
Disability Night Life Project
“Disability Nightlife Project.” Critical Design Lab, https://www.mapping-access.com/disability-nightlife-project.
Aimi Hamraie and the Critical Design Lab
Hamraie, Aimi. Building Access: Universal Design and the Politics of Disability. University of Minnesota Press, 2017.
Disability Intersectionality Summit
Ho, Sandy, et al. Suggested Actions: Places to Start, #AccessIsLove, Disability & Intersectionality Summit, 2019, https://www.disabilityintersectionalitysummit.com/places-to-start.
Pleasure Activism
brown, adrienne maree; Rodriguez; Piepzna-Samarasinha, Leah Lakshmi. “Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good.” AK Press, 2019. Apple Books.
Against Access
Clark, John Lee. "Against Access." McSweeney’s, vol. 64, https://audio.mcsweeneys.net/transcripts/against_access.html.
Care Work
Piepzna-Samarasinha, Leah Lakshmi. Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice. Arsenal Pulp Press, 2021.
Bonus.
Here is a poster we created as a companion to the Question Access text.
[Wet swaths of blue and purple with bold text on top, some text is hidden. Complete text in image reads: Question Access. Who leads? What is the future being dreamed? How are people treated? What is the aesthetic? How does it feel? What is prioritized? How are things decided? How are people held accountable? Where is access practiced? Whose needs are met?]
The content of this page is published by THE CURIOSITY PARADOX. CC BY-SA.