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| Dr. Steven Brown, Professor at the Center on Disability Studies at the University of Hawaii, Manoa. |
You mentioned in your book Surprised to Be Standing that
being diagnosed with Gaucher’s Disease and realizing your physical
limitation when you were a child made you feel that your life changed forever. Please
share with us some life changing events that followed?
This is a bit difficult to answer in
short form, since I have already written a lot about my life in 2 books and in
other publications. However, here are 2:
1. When I first stood in front of a classroom as a Teaching
Assistant in the mid-1970s, I realized that students were waiting for me to
take the lead. And I began to do just that. Later, I realized this was the
beginning of ending an intense shyness and learning to put myself “out there”
in many different situations.
2. In 1982, a year after earning my doctorate, I was hired,
over the phone to write a history of a private company in Oklahoma. When my
contact learned I used crutches, the conversation changed. Eventually I was not
hired and I was told that they did not think someone who used crutches could do
the research and write a book. As I have often written about this situation, I
became “radicalized overnight” as a disability advocate. And thus began my
journey working in disability rights organizations, which has led to many other
amazing experiences and opportunities.
How far are we in terms of creating a disability mythology?
I talked and wrote about “disability mythology”
in the early 1990s. For me, this was a way to get people thinking about
“disability culture.” So my response to this question would more accurately be
where are we in the evolution of Disability Culture. And for that, there could
be many responses.
Here’s one:
When I, and a few others, began talking
about Disability Culture in the 1980s and early 1990s, there was frequently an
argument about whether such a culture existed. But now you can find the phrase
“Disability Culture” in books, conference titles and programs; journal
articles; academic courses; organizations; and many other places. You can also
enter the search term, “disability culture” and receive thousands to millions
of returns, depending on the day. So, we have come a long way in a relatively
short time. And it continues to evolve, which is, for me, the most exciting
part.
Would you like to revise your definition of Disability
Culture* in a 1996 issue of Mainstream Magazine? Please explain.
*People with
disabilities have forged a group identity. We share a common history of
oppression and a common bond of resilience. We generate art, music, literature,
and other expressions of our lives and our culture, infused from our experience
of disability. Most importantly, we are proud of ourselves as people with
disabilities. We claim our disabilities with pride as part of our identity. We
are who we are: we are people with disabilities.
I have revisited this definition many
times over the years and asked other people about it as well. I have wondered
at times about revising it, but it still seems to work well, so no I don’t see
a need to revise it. I do, however, use other definitions from other people as
well, when I discuss the concept and definition of disability culture. For more
on definitions, and links to other resources, please see: www.instituteondisabilityculture.org
How do you like teaching online course “Disability and
Culture: From Homer to Hip Hop?” and what have you learned from your students?
I love it. “Disability History and
Culture: From Homer to Hip” is a course I created, so I’m quite attached to it.
When it began, about 2-3 years ago, it was somewhat difficult to find resources
for student assignments. But in the short time that I’ve been teaching it,
resources have expanded widely and now there is more than can be used in a
semester.
From my students, I learn many things.
Among them are: how their lives have impacted what they take away and
contribute to the course; how their cultural backgrounds contribute to the way
they participate in discussions; that they come up with questions I would not
think about asking; and how many students still know so very little about
disability and disability issues—but have a great desire to know and wonder why
they haven’t been previously exposed to it, especially in primary and secondary
schools.
I
have also learned from students, as well as many others, about a variety or
resources that are available and that continue to be created.
What do you love the most about your job?
Teaching; working with great colleagues
and being encouraged to be innovative; and making a difference in people’s
lives.
