Temple to feature ‘Construction of Disability’ at AC Convocation

Posted Thursday, March 07, 2024
Author: Mickey Alvarado

Artist, occupational therapist, and disability advocate Dianna Temple will feature “Construction of Disability” during Adrian College’s Disability Awareness Week Convocation, at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 18, in Dawson Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.

Temple’s work emphasizes social, political, and environmental barriers for people with disabilities. She has been a part of the disability community as a caregiver and advocate for her older sister, Jacquelyn. Currently, she is the Executive Director of Ohio Special Initiatives by Brothers and Sisters (SIBS), an advocacy organization for siblings of people with disabilities that aims to create a better world inclusive of people with disabilities.

“Construction of Disability’’ will showcase several photographic projects of Temple’s that reflect how she has questioned ideas of representation, and how the environment isolates people with disabilities.

“Photographs of people with disabilities frequently aim to overemphasize ordinary experiences or create sympathy without considering the broader social construction of disability that plays into this image-making,” she said.

Temple said she aims to create imagery that can build new conversations.

“Through the years, the camera has been a primary tool for me to express myself,” Temple said. “Photography is a form of communication that includes my sister since she communicates non-verbally. Themes in my work include the body, home, disability and the invisible.”

For more information, contact Adrian College Accessibility Services Specialist Allison Hoag at allisonhoag@adrian.edu.