Comment from the Field

The Disability in 'Fact' and 'Fiction' seminar was hosted by Critical and Community Psychology Research Group in Research Centre for Social Change: Community Wellbeing, Manchester Metropolitan University, 9 January 2017. The organizer and chair Katherine Runswick-Cole welcomed audience and introduced two scheduled speakers, who blurred and fiction dichotomy with their explorations of how fictitious dominant narratives of disability are so readily perceived as fact.Delivering his paper entitled Travelling Blind, Rod Michalko (University of Toronto) opened event. Blindness is spoken about in many ways and is presented in many stories. Yet, as Prof. Michalko pointed out, there remains to be dominant story of blindness, story of ophthalmology. This medical story of blindness is traditionally spoken and heard as fact. It is scientifically validated branch of knowledge that adopts an authorial position, from which it subsequently decries mixture of that provide realities of blindness. Prof. Michalko, however, defied this power. He suggested that ophthalmological story of blindness is in fact just that, story-a story that is no more valid than any other. During later discussion, Antonios Ktenidis (University of Sheffield) raised question of how these particular stories gain prevalence. In response, Prof. Michalko explained that since Age of Enlightenment, social power phenomenon has ensured that scientific reasoning is transcended and granted that supersedes all other truths.Describing his own venture into world of storytelling, Prof. Michalko introduced his new book of short stories on blindness titled Things Are Different Here, scheduled for release in Spring 2017. He acknowledged being influenced by late Lynn Manning, an award-winning poet and playwright who was blinded at age of 23; late Austin Clark, who worked with Prof. Michalko on his short stories and advised him to show never tell; and late Thomas King, of Canadian Indigenous Community, who expressed that the truth about stories is that stories are all that we are.Expanding on this perspective, Prof. Michalko informed us that we are both story and storyteller, we story ourselves within patterns and vocabulary of our surrounding world. Some of our stories are heard, while some are lost in echoes of other speakers. Interestingly, this point was later picked up by Nick Hodge (Sheffield Hallam University), who asked Prof. Michalko if he thought it was possible to find the authentic self, you that has not been storied. Giving careful consideration to this question, Prof. Michalko said that he believed the authentic to be a beautiful myth, as it is difficult to imagine self that is only oneself: I live never ever alone, often by myself, but never alone. The curtain of culture is always with me.To give context to his discussion, Prof. Michalko drew on excerpts from two short stories he has authored. An excerpt from Lucky was read by Rebecca Lawthom (Manchester Metropolitan University), while Dan Goodley (University of Sheffield) read an excerpt from Urinal on Right. These two excerpts unravelled intricacies of power relations by bringing together plethora of ways that blindness can be spoken about, encountered, and represented. In many instances, Prof. Michalko highlighted, blindness is deemed problem. The natural human response when presented with problem is to find simple solution. Unfortunately, this simple solution fails to provide space for complexity of blindness to be appreciated.Concluding his presentation, Prof. Michalko advised us to listen. Drawing on work by Jeanette Armstrong, spokesperson for rights of Indigenous people, he explained that to be good storyteller it is necessary to be good listener, to let stories flow over and through us. …

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