Photovoice

Having a disability makes you face challenges and obstacles that push you to your limits. Every day. I often wish people could just put themselves in my shoes for just one moment. Working at a large university gives me the unique opportunity to share my story. One was a research study using photovoices.

Photovoice is a qualitative research method used in community-based participatory research to gather information. Photovoice uses participant photography to guide interviews, and is commonly used in the fields of community development, international development, public health, and education. A professor sent out a call looking for students or staff who were willing to share their lived experiences of having a disability while navigating campus.

I answered the call and went around campus taking photos. I came up with six I was pleased with and submitted them. After a few Zoom meetings, we got together and picked our favorite photos. We described the photos and came up with overarching themes. From the discussions, the researchers took our words and made poems that coincided with the photos. Three of my photos were picked to be in the research study.

What was incredible about this opportunity was the researchers wanted this project to go further than research. They wanted it to reach people across campus and showcase our work. So, they made an art exhibit and had a grand reveal.

Not only was I proud of my work, I got to check off two goals I never realized I had. One, to be an artist and have my work on display. And two, to share a glimpse of my lived experience of having a disability while navigating UGA’s campus. The exhibit was on display at the Georgia Museum of Art as the “The Lived Experience of Disability Inclusion on Campus.”

Major campus stakeholders attended the grand opening and congratulated the team. People commented how they learned so much and were awakened when they read our stories. People suddenly saw our battles. Every day, fighting a system not built for us. I was honored to have been a part of this project that will be a catalyst for starting the conversation of inclusivity on UGA’s campus.

My friends attended the grand opening of the exhibit.