Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability - Anna Goose

"The Past Permeates the Present:" An Interview with Disability Historian Laurie Block

Visitor — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 21:42:56 +0000

Laurie Block, Becoming Helen Keller, Producer & Director. Founder, www.disabilitymuseum.org

Recently, Longmore Student Fellow Anna Goose sat down to talk with Laurie Block, about her two-hour film biography work-in-progress, Becoming Helen Keller. This long-term project first started about 16 years ago when Block began searching for a way to “look at disability history in a documentary film that…would bring the general public closer to understanding why the disability rights movement was needed.” Block explained that 60 years ago, the two most famous disabled people in the world were Franklin D. Roosevelt and Helen Keller, both of whom graduated from Harvard University in 1904. “FDR’s life and work has been studied extensively, but it was disability advocates who brought his disability into public focus.”

Block added, Keller’s fame relies largely on an “overcoming disability” narrative; what she did to earn a living and her role as a pioneering advocate are largely overlooked.

Block chose Keller as a subject in her ongoing media work in disability history because “everybody knows her name and something about the legend” and in seeking government and foundation grants to make her film, she thought, “Who could say ‘no’ to a well-researched documentary film about Helen Keller?”

Annie & Helen reading, lantern slide, Courtesy A.G. Bell Association Archives

Helen Keller’s story is one that many people think they know, Block says, but “the quality of the knowledge and attention that [Keller] has received…is very limited,” and “it often reduces her story to the first three weeks after Ann Sullivan arrived.” Keller lived from 1880-1968, and she worked well into her 70s. Most people encounter a snippet of Keller’s life story, and depending on their own life experience and opinions, they think it’s the whole story, Block explained. “It could be the fact that she supported suffrage, or Eugene Debs--the socialist candidate for president, or that she did Vaudeville. It could be the innumerable jokes about her, or her supposed saintly optimism. Becoming Helen Keller exposes the backstory to the mythology. It looks at Keller’s life within the historical context of people with disabilities, women’s rights, the development of then-new media, the methods of advocacy available in her lifetime.” In this way, Block hopes, a broad audience will come to “see Keller differently, come to know and understand newly what her experience was.” Keller Portraits across Keller's lifespan, age 7-mid 80s, Photos Courtesy Perkins School for the Blind & American Foundation for the Blind

So how exactly does this film make its case? “In the early part of the film, we look at her education, and at the books that were available to her—what was in raised print and braille. How her education was paid for, who made the choices in Keller’s learning to speak, to go to this school or to that one. Helen Keller and Polly Jones, at UN Meeting at Lake Success, Courtesy American Foundation for the Blind

We show how her celebrity was established in the media, and in the second hour the same themes continue about agency, celebrity and media power, access to or the lack of accommodations in education and employment. How Keller earned a living as a college-educated disabled female celebrity and adult-disability advocate lets us look at the obligations and responsibilities of society to people with disabilities that prevailed in her lifetime and vice versa: what was expected of people with disabilities to society? These obligations and expectations change over time for many reasons.”

Another way Becoming Helen Keller is different from other versions of Keller’s story is the involvement of the disability community in the making of the film.

In the earlier stages of the project, Block engaged with Kathi Wolfe, a blind poet who has written about (and sometimes in the voice of) Keller—how she received Keller’s story and what she made of it for herself. Several leading scholars of disability history advised and some also speak in the film. Block conducted interviews with Deaf advocates in New England, and others from Gallaudet University. She interviewed over a dozen blind people from all walks of life in the Massachusetts area about how they first encountered Keller’s story and what, if anything, about her influenced them, and how their understanding changed over time. There were hard aesthetic problems to solve as well. “How do we keep the audience from ever forgetting that the way Keller received information and conversationally expressed her thoughts was never typical?” A palette of motifs was developed: tactile sign language and braille are projected as an element of the film’s environment. Cherry Jones, On the Becoming Helen Keller Set, Disability History Museum

“The hands you see in these film elements belong to members of the Gallaudet University and Perkins School for the Blind communities… The on-camera host-narrator will use American Sign Language. We are hoping that Howie Seago will take this role.” Becoming Helen Keller is currently in its final funding effort, and a Kickstarter fundraiser (http://kck.st/2F8YaWf) is underway to raise $45,000 to finish editing the second hour of the film. When asked why people with disabilities should support this project, Block’s response was this:

“The past permeates the present, and knowing how we got to this present, how it was shaped broadly, means thinking not just about us and what we do today, but about the generations that came before us. Historical thinking is essential for understanding who we are within identity communities, but also who we are as a nation.”

Keller using tactile sign with (from left to right) Anne Sullivan when Keller was a child, then adolescent. Keller in the 1930s with Nella Braddy Henney and Polly Thomson. Keller in her late career with Polly Thomson

To check out the Kickstarter, visit: http://kck.st/2F8YaWf For more information about Becoming Helen Keller, visit: https://www.becominghelenkeller.org/

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Anna Goose

Becoming Helen Keller

disability history

Helen Keller

Kickstarter

Laurie Block

Introducing The Longmore Institute Student Fellows for Spring 2018!

Visitor — Wed, 21 Feb 2018 22:27:02 +0000

Spring semester has arrived, and the Longmore Institute has expanded our team! Our Longmore Student Fellows program offers students with disabilities paid professional development opportunities, as well as a place on campus where they can learn more about disability communities, culture, and history. Please meet Anna Goose, Asa Arnold, Martha Jimenez, Lauren Wheeler-Dubin, Simon Hagene, and Robyn Kurland!

Anna Goose (Access Assistant):

I have a Bachelor's in Psychology from the University of Cincinnati, and I am a first-year MS student in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program here at SF State. This program (formerly known as Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health) has already broadened my understanding of both my personal disability and disability in general, and has helped fan the flames of advocacy and activism that were first lit in my undergraduate studies. I discovered the Longmore Institute somewhat by accident, having received a forwarded email about Superfest, and was immediately curious about the organization behind the invite. What I found was this incredible hub of inclusion and accessibility, with a mission and values that are so aligned with my own that I knew I had to get involved. I'm thrilled to be part of the team now, and I'm looking forward to contributing to the fight against disability stigma and stereotypes.

Asa Arnold (Superfest juror):

Asa Arnold is a queer disabled student at SF State University, currently pursuing a double major in English and History. Disability has been a part of their life in one way or another for as long as they can remember, although they only realized this and began to identify with it recently. They are particularly interested in the intersections and complications of identity, social change, and the way we understand and tell stories about ourselves. When not writing essays or doing assigned readings for classes, you can find Asa knitting or crocheting, playing video games, or doing even more reading.

Martha Jimenez (Superfest juror):

My name is Martha Jimenez and I’m a third year transfer to San Francisco State University. I’m from Walnut Creek, a small town in the East Bay. I’m a first generation college student and very excited to see what’s in store for me here at State. I’m a psychology major and hoping to work with young kids in the near future. I’m very excited for the opportunity to work with the Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability. I was diagnosed with both a learning disability and Scoliosis at a young age. I felt like I easily stood out with having an Individual Education Plan (IEP) and needing a back brace. Looking back, I realize how much these experiences have made a strong impact on who I am today. I gained a different experience than many my age but by no means was it a lesser one. Throughout my experiences, I’ve realized it’s hard for some people to understand and except those with disabilities. This is why I’m so excited to become a working member of the Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability, where they strive to inform the community and change social views on disabilities.

Lauren Wheeler-Dubin (Superfest juror):

My name is Lauren Wheeler-Dubin and I received my bachelors from UCLA in the Theatre, Film and Television Department. I am currently a graduate student in the Mild/Moderate Special Education Department at SFSU. While pursuing my masters and teaching credential, I am in the process of collaborating with some very talented individuals to film a documentary about disability access. It is a wonderful honor to be part of Superfest.

Simon Hagene (Superfest juror):

Simon Hagene was born in Connecticut, USA, although he grew up in Norway due to his parents being from Scandinavia. As the years elapsed, he developed a great passion for acting, writing and the making of short films, and is currently pursuing his Master of Fine Arts at San Francisco State University. "Film is a wonderful piece of art wherein all of what I love come together. It is an incredible platform to introduce stories worthy of a cinematic reflection, especially on the topics that make my heart beat just a bit louder."

Robyn Kurland (Superfest Jury/ Showcase Coordinator):

Hi there! I am an M.S. in Counseling candidate at SFSU. As a civil rights advocate, both personally and professionally, I have seen ableism and mentalism deeply-rooted in our oppressive societal constructs. My personal struggle with a disability also provides a unique understanding and a passion to educate and collaborate for systemic and cultural change. I also happen to be an avid film fan. Movies are a fantastic educational tool that utilizes the cinematic experience to show commonalities in human experience. At the same time, they can tokenize, underrepresent, or misrepresent. Stories need to be told, but who tells them and how they are told matters. I look forward to working with the Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability and being a part of this amazing experience!

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About the Longmore Institute

Anna Goose

Asa Arnold

Lauren Wheeler-Dubin

Longmore Student Fellows

Martha Jimenez

Robyn Kurland

Simon Hagene

Superfest: International Disability Film Festival