I see we are living in a world now where situations, people and things are becoming more acceptable. It’s a lot better now than in the past, as the years continue to unfold and some traditions and biases are fading out. I see a balance especially where some older and middle-aged people are still set in their ways of thinking, not willing to budge and others are open and willing to change. This culture of diversity, equal rights, forums and communication allows people to now have a voice, share opinions and be heard and also accepted.
Because of my race, class and abilities, my thinking 20 years ago would be that I would no way be able to start or get involved in a PgCert. I would have assumed it was out of my league. Sometimes I battle with my mind constantly convincing myself that I am a community person and not an academic. Constantly asking myself am I doing the right thing and equally on the other hand knowing confidently I am a person of professional influence that has worked within recognised and creative industries. I am a character that brings change and able to transfer skills naturally, communicate and engages well with others, I’m the person that can brighten up a room, the person who walks with compassions, willing to listen and talks to anyone and has time for people in need, which to some people would be a chore or a struggle. You either have it or you don’t. Maybe its maturity or do I have an interest, I didn’t realise I had, I now find myself watching more news than ever before and enjoying listening to phone-in and talk radio stations and enjoying the informative conversations. I have a desire to understand what is going on in the world. Is this because I feel more involved or because I have a responsibility to share information, or am I trying to improve my knowledge on life’s circumstances. Whatever it is I’m happy doing so.
Teaching and supporting the students on the Business Design Management course at LCC is brilliant. It’s rewarding when the light bulb moments click in with the students with in depth conversations allowing them to explore and challenge ideas, while developing and enhancing their portfolios for presentation days.
I read an amazing statement in the Terms of reference Shades of Noir.
This is such a true statement, no matter how much money we have in the world or how educated we are, even have the fastest car, everyone will be challenged with one weakness or another or even a vulnerability.
Some people may hide it well for years and later on in life end up crumbling because they have not been honest with themselves. If everyone focused on doing a little to be supportive and inclusive, this would be a better place. For some these changes have made life easier and provided a better quality of life. We cannot forget those who are less fortunate and can’t keep up the advancement. Although this world has progressed and advanced in social justice issues and technology There have been some instances where people have had to communicate with robots and systems who would rather talk to an actual person. For the ones that are not internet savvy and don’t have the patience, I feel sorry for them. That could be me in 30 years’ time. How will we cope. The voice of many is a very useful booklet tool. It covers areas and aspects of life, plus current scenarios that are relatable to most people. That some people wouldn’t know how to address. My eyes have been opened to never asume and over look.
I found this statement really insightful.
“Using the social model of disability as a theory instead of the medical model can change people’s outlooks on what other people can achieve, and how organisations and our environments should be structured. People who follow this way of thinking will be able to see past the outdated policies and procedures that can be a barrier to people with learning disabilities leading full and active lives”.
Mental Health, It’s ok to say you don’t feel okay, article
I am amazed I am reading this at a time when I literally feel like I’m juggling everything.
I have so much…….
To do
I have to do….
I want to do….
I need to do….
I don’t want to do….
Wishing there was change immediately on some of life’s circumstances. I’m taking this article as a message of inspiration, a word of encouragement. Although I feel my mental health is intact. I have to make sure I don’t run into burn out. It states to take time off once in a while without feeling guilty but sometime we fear in loosing time especially towards deadlines and managing a working life we can’t afford to take our foot off the peddle.
While reading and taking notes, a news article alerted me on my phone, Sinead O’Connor dies and the cause of death mental health battles. Wow, we just never know what people are going through or what they have suffered and even how their foundation started so it’s’ good to be kind. I’ve defiantly heard this so many times this week, Look after yourself!
“Mental health theories strive to explain human development behaviourally, psychologically, and socially”. positivepsychology.com (2019)
This resource has been encouraging. I would apply this to my teaching practise by collecting a number of sentences listed in the article and present them as positive pointers reminders around the classroom.
Reading something like:
“Don’t pressure yourself to perform if your battery level is low”
“It’s important for us to find moments of calm in all the chaos”. SoN (April 2017)
I have just realised I haven’t been to the Spa for a while, I’m going next week for my wellbeing
Notes to self: Five schools of thought, that attempt to explain mental health. Some professionals like counsellors and therapists use from this list.
Behaviorism Behavior is a result of life experiences, not the unconscious mind. We learn through our experiences with our environment. This approach is all about conditioning. It is present focused.
Biological This is a medical model of treating mental disorders. The idea is that something physical is the cause of mental illness. Symptoms are “outward signs of the inner physical disorder” (McLeod, 2018).
Psychodynamic Like behaviorism, psychodynamic therapists view behavior as a result of experiences. One of the differences, though is that psychodynamic therapists focus on past experiences. They assert that unconscious forces drive people’s behavior. The client and therapist revisit explored ground to achieve more understanding. This therapeutic process can take many years.
Cognitive The emphasis of this theory is on thinking, not doing. A feedback loop exists between the person’s assumptions and attitudes, their resulting perceptions, and the conclusions drawn from them (Grace College, n.d.). These therapists work to assist a person to change their thoughts. Doing this leads to a change in feelings and behavior.
Humanistic This approach is characterized by three different therapies that can help people achieve their highest potential.
Daily Mail (June 2023) Sinead O’Connor dead https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12341117/Sinead-OConnor-dead-Irish-music-legend-dies-aged-56-years-mental-health-battles-18-months-17-year-old-son-Shane-passed-away.html
Reading this pdf was relatable, it puts me through the mind of what my mum is currently going through now with her health condition. My mum started working from a very young age and she has worked the majority of her life. In fact, I don’t ever recall her being without a job. She loves to help people and is good at communicating, she always worked well within customer service jobs and has a passion to help in times of crises, she’s also an amazing host within her home cooking and entertaining with music, outdoors she will talk to all cultures of people.
My mum had a trip/fall at her work place a number of years ago and the long-term result of it, is she now has extreme wear and tear within her bones on her hip. The employer let her go on the basis that she is no longer fit for work within their establishment.
I’m seeing her now struggle to get to the job centre appointments, the grief they give her to come and visit the location, crazy times at like 8:30am, sometimes she hasn’t even rested well the night before. Having to commit to showing up to be able to prove she is unable and unfit for work.
My mum is also not computer savvy so the rigmarole of continuous meetings, checking’s and proof of doctor’s evidence has caused her great distress along with the bone pain. She told me because she was afraid she would lose her claim and have no money for her rent, she went up the stairs to her advisor interview in pain.
She has been waiting for a hip operation for over a year and seeing her in pain is heart wrenching.
I was so annoyed I had to step in and visit the job centre myself and explain you can’t treat somebody this way. She has been struggling. Although they have now moved her appointments to telephone calls it makes me wonder how much more other people are going though disabilities like this, with not much support. It was encouraging to see that the performances did not stop. Barokka, K (2017). “I am 98% of the time kneeling or laying down, performing poetry and performance art while refusing to stand and cause myself pain, whether seen by others or not“.
I guess disability or not if you can, the show must go on.We just have to do our best in all things.
It’s great that there was a conference in Illinois 2001 about how scholars and educators might broaden the scopes of conceptualizing disabilies in education arenas, I guess this would high light the needs for users but what is being addressed now, it’s amazing that from 2007 to 2010 it grew to Belgium, enormously attracting many leaders from a number of countries. How could this be implemented or applied to in Great Britain.
Connor, David J. (2008) “Disability Studies and Inclusive Education — Implications for Theory, Research, and Practice.” International Journal of Inclusive Education, vol. 12, no. 5-6, Sept. 2008, pp. 441–457, https://doi.org/10.1080/13603110802377482. Accessed 7 June 2023.
Barokka (Okka), K. (2017). Deaf-accessibility for spoonies: lessons from touring Eve and Mary Are Having Coffee while chronically ill. Research in Drama Education: The Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance, 22(3), pp.387–392. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/13569783.2017.1324778.
I’m not sure what the main reason would be why the media wouldn’t use a person of colour with a disability to play a disabled role. I don’t think that there is a lack of them. There must be some type of barrier or miscommunication of why the original person or thing is being portrayed. Why isn’t it authentic or real. If there hasn’t ever been a movement or campaign about it I guess the time is now.
I guess this #DisabilityTooWhite hashtag was a great way to get the movement active, I guess it has to start somewhere and the fact that it started organically and people paid attention to is, it’s a starting point for voices to be heard for development and change. Now from this hashtag people have been able to connect with others and build a powerful support group.
This type of thing reminds me of when I went to watch the Bob Marley musical in the theatre ‘getupstandup’ in the west end a few months ago. The main actor who played Bob and 98% of all the actors in the musical were not Jamaican, but from other Caribbean island. That to me wasn’t a true representation. I heard what I would call the fake Jamaican accent.
Get Up Stand Up. (n.d.). Get Up Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical. [online] Available at: https://getupstandupthemusical.com. priority_high Webpage author priority_high Date published (Accessed 3 June. 2023)
Shades of Noir “Disabled People: The Voice of the Many.”, https://shadesofnoir.org.uk/journals/disabled-people-the-voice-of-the-many/ (Accessed 7 June 2023).
Connor, David J. (2008) “Disability Studies and Inclusive Education — Implications for Theory, Research, and Practice.” International Journal of Inclusive Education, vol. 12, no. 5-6, Sept. 2008, pp. 441–457, https://doi.org/10.1080/13603110802377482. Accessed 7 June 2023.