Disability and Discourse: Analysing Inclusive Conversation with People with Intellectual Disabilities

259 Pages·2011·2.2 MB·English

by  Val Williams(auth.)

Disability and Discourse
Disability and Discourse. Analysing Inclusive Conversation with People with Intellectual Disabilities,
1st edition. © Val Williams. Published 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. ISBN: 978-0-470-68266-1
Disability and Discourse
Analysing Inclusive Conversation with
People with Intellectual Disabilities
Val Williams, Norah Fry Research Centre, University of Bristol
A John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Publication
This edition fi rst published 2011
© 2011 Val Williams
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Williams, Val.
Disability and discourse : analysing inclusive conversation with people with intellectual disabilities /
by Val Williams.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-470-68266-1 (cloth) – ISBN 978-0-470-68267-8 (pbk.)
1. People with mental disabilities–Social aspects. 2. People with mental disabilities–Means of
communication. 3. Interpersonal communication. 4. Social interaction. I. Title.
HV3004.W528 2011
362.3–dc22
2010033378
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
This book is published in the following electronic formats: eBook 9780470977941; Wiley Online Library
9780470977934
Set in 10/12 pt Minion by Toppan Best-set Premedia Limited
01 2011
Dedication
To my family, Rob, Ben and Naomi, and for everyone at
Norah Fry Research Centre, at the University of Bristol
Contents
About the Author ix
Preface xi
Acknowledgements xiii
1 Starting Points 1
2 Some Building Blocks for Analysis 21
Part 1 Individual Voices 35
3 Challenging Disempowering Patterns of Talk 37
4 Supporting Someone to be Competent 51
5 Opening up Conversation 65
6 Equalising Talk and Friendliness 75
7 Doing Autonomy: ‘It’s entirely up to you’ 89
8 Public Encounters 109
Part 2 Collective Voice 125
9 Self-Advocacy Talk: The personal to the political 127
10 Supporting People to Speak up in Group Situations 143
11 Being Interviewers with the Label of ‘Intellectual Disability’ 159
12 Behind the Scenes in Inclusive Research: ‘We are the artists of our lives’ 171
13 Talk about Labelling and Identity 185
14 Refl ections on Doing Analysis 199
15 Refl ections on Change 217
Appendix Transcription Conventions 237
References 239
Index 251
About the Author
Val Williams is a researcher at the Norah Fry Research Centre at the University of Bristol, where
she has worked since 1997, following previous careers in education. She has always tried to work
alongside disabled people and people with intellectual disabilities, in order to make sure they
have a voice in matters that concern them. Val has wide - ranging interests in disability studies, as
well as conversation analysis, and is an executive editor of the international journal Disability &
Society.
Preface
by Members of ‘ The Voice ’ *
This book has the title ‘ intellectual disability ’ . We know that this is a word used in
other countries in the world, and that is why it is in this book. This is just to say that
in the UK, we don ’ t understand the word ‘ intellectual disability ’ . You need to be quite
free - minded to understand all these different words. It ’ s a different way of saying
‘ learning diffi culty ’ . That ’ s the word we normally use in the UK.
To write this preface (and the prefaces to Parts 1 and 2 ), we both read a summary of
all the chapters in the book. Kerrie read out the summary onto an audio recorder,
and Lisa listened and talked about what she thought. We both worked together on
this preface. It ’ s really good to have self -a dvocates involved in a book like this. We are
self - advocates ourselves, and we like to do things to help other people.
Most of us don ’ t live in institutions any more. But there are still problems. The social
model tells us that there are barriers around. In Chapter 1 , Val talks a bit about the
social model. If a person uses a wheelchair, and goes to a cinema, and there are steps,
how is she going to get up there? That ’ s a barrier. People with learning disabilities
face barriers every day. But they can overcome their barriers and fi ght back. If we
want to be independent, we can be. People can help each other, and advise each other.
This book is about talk. Sometimes people can talk, but sometimes they have prob-
lems in talking. One of us had a friend who couldn ’ t talk clearly. It ’ s important how
people communicate, and you need to fi nd out how they talk. Some people may use
sign language. How can people talk to people with intellectual disabilities? They need
to talk without being patronising. One of us said that if people are patronising, ‘ I tell
them to push off. ’
This old lady came up to me, and patted me on the head. It made me feel really
embarrassed, although I am normally strong about things.
* ‘ The Voice ’ is the name chosen by a small group of people with learning disabilities who work with
staff at Norah Fry Research Centre, where the author is based.
xii Preface
People often talk to our support workers instead of talking to us, and that makes us
cross. People also say ‘ you ’ re doing well ’ , when we ’ re not. That can sound a bit patro-
nising too. We have a voice, and we can speak up when we want to. But there are good
times to get feedback, and we often like that. It gives us some sort of praise.
Why should you read this book? If you read the book, it would show you how we
feel. Then perhaps you would understand how other ‘ users ’ would feel, and how they
could have their own voice. And that ’ s the only way you can get through. And you
should read this book, because it tells you about us, and it tells you what we want
from you. And we want you to read the book carefully. And make sure we ’ ve been
heard. Don ’ t get this book and just leave it on the shelf!
Acknowledgements
This book has come about because of inclusive research projects, in which people with intel-
lectual disabilities played a central, guiding role. Therefore, their contribution to this book is
absolutely vital, and I would fi rst like to acknowledge all the people with intellectual disabilities
I have worked with in the past 15 years. Their names appear in credits throughout the book and
in their own publications: Julian Goodwin, Neil Palmer, Florence Turner, Brian Vasey, Chris
Peacock, Stacey Gramlich, Natasha Snelham, Gordon McBride, Tiffany (Mouse) England, Kerrie
Ford and Lisa Ponting. They ’ ve all been a fantastic source of inspiration to me. Second, I would
like to acknowledge all my colleagues at Norah Fry Research Centre at the University of Bristol,
who have supported me while I ’ ve been writing this. In particular, a big thank you to Kelley
Johnson, who encouraged me to keep at it and to believe it is possible to write a book; also to
Jan Walmsley for comments on earlier versions of some of the chapters. Wiley - Blackwell have
been very supportive as publishers, and in particular I am indebted to the comments of the
anonymous reviewer who had the enthusiasm and interest to read and give incredibly useful
feedback on an earlier draft.
The painting on the front cover is by Claude Rimmer, who was an artist with intellectual dis-
abilities, and is in memory of his talents. I am grateful to his family for allowing this to be pub-
lished. Last, but most importantly, I am very grateful to all the people in self -a dvocacy groups
and the support workers and people with intellectual disabilities who feature throughout the
chapters of the book. They are the people who bring it all to life.
Chapter 1
Starting Points
The c entral i nterest: c o mmunication
This book is about communication. The research reported in these pages is based on recordings
of people engaged in social activity. It is a type of research that is fascinating, because it offers a
way to understand and change certain patterns in communication, patterns that regularly exclude
some groups of people. Every time two or more people interact there is a fresh slate, an oppor-
tunity for each person to communicate with the other simply ‘ a s a person’ and to be open to
new meanings, relationships and ways of interacting. Human communication can sound like
something quite emancipatory – a tool for change! As the reader will suspect, it is not quite as
easy in practice. In order to move towards more ‘ empowering ’ and equal situations in talk, it is
vital to explore fi rst the regular, routine power imbalances that affect many people. The chapters
in this book therefore trace both problematic as well as positive aspects of communication as
they are interwoven in the everyday here - and - now of people ’ s lives.
My central aim in this book is to deliver practical understanding of interactions with people
with intellectual disabilities, so that those interactions can be carried out on a basis of equality.
People with intellectual disabilities have a right to be included in interactions and have a right
to speak out. All those who have an interest in communication, and in working alongside people
with intellectual disabilities, will fi nd much in these pages that will support new ways of com-
municating and working with individuals and groups.
Some readers turning to a book about intellectual disability will expect it to be about com-
munication defi cits: most surely, this book is not. Rather, it is about the way ordinary resources
of social interaction are used in particular contexts by and with people with intellectual disabili-
ties. Rather than offer ‘ t ips for support workers’ , I aim to capture the complexity and intricate,
moment- b y- m oment contingencies of two- w ay interaction. The extracts given through the text
are detailed transcriptions of audio and video recordings of real - life activities, communication
in which more than one participant was involved and where people were engaged in social activi-
ties, ranging from checking into a hotel or making a cup of coffee, to planning a research project
and chairing a meeting.
A nother, equally important starting point was my interest in fi nding ways to study human
communication. Like other analysts, I started doing analysis of interactions because I was drawn
to the study of how people understand and communicate with each other. Therefore, a parallel
Disability and Discourse. Analysing Inclusive Conversation with People with Intellectual Disabilities,
1st edition. © Val Williams. Published 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. ISBN: 978-0-470-68266-1