Visual Resistance and Social Change: Disability Arts as Cultural Intervention in Indonesian Media Landscapes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61978/psychosocia.v2i3.816Keywords:
Disability Arts, Narrative Agency, Indonesia, Stigma, Inclusive Representation, Cultural TransformationAbstract
This article explores the transformative potential of disability arts in Indonesia by analyzing how inclusive artistic practices challenge dominant media narratives that depict disability through pity, inspiration, or deficit. Employing a comparative qualitative approach, the study integrates discourse analysis of artworks by the Deaf Art Community and Kinanty Andini with media content review and focus group discussions before and after art exposure. The analysis reveals that disability arts foster narrative agency, shifting audience perceptions from stereotypical views to recognition of disabled individuals as empowered and creative agents. Inclusive artworks deploy symbolism, cultural authenticity, and emotional storytelling, enabling participants to engage with disability not as deficiency but as lived, multifaceted identity. Qualitative and quantitative shifts in sentiment evidenced by changes in audience descriptors and thematic coding highlight the potential of art-based interventions to reduce stigma. However, the study also notes limitations, including misinterpretation, co-optation, and inequities in access and representation. Cultural contexts significantly shape the reception of disability narratives, while digital platforms simultaneously democratize and constrain visibility. The study concludes that disability art, while not a panacea, is a critical catalyst for narrative transformation and cultural inclusion. Continued collaboration among artists, scholars, and institutions is necessary to ensure lasting impact and representation.
References
Albrecht, L., Starnes, H., Benton, K., Bol, A., Gettings, E., & Dagenhard-Trainer, P. (2021). Interactive Digital Art for Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities. Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 26(2), 442–454. https://doi.org/10.1177/1744629520975554 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1744629520975554
Aswegen, J. V., & Shevlin, M. (2019). Disabling Discourses and Ableist Assumptions: Reimagining Social Justice Through Education for Disabled People Through a Critical Discourse Analysis Approach. Policy Futures in Education, 17(5), 634–656. https://doi.org/10.1177/1478210318817420 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1478210318817420
Bang, G. H., & Kim, K. M. (2015). Korean Disabled Artists’ Experiences of Creativity and the Environmental Barriers They Face. Disability & Society, 30(4), 543–555. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2015.1030065 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2015.1030065
Brolan, C. E., Gomez, M. T., Lennox, N., & Ware, R. S. (2015). Cross-Cultural Understanding of Health Assessments for People With Intellectual Disability: An Australian Resource in the Philippines. Health Culture and Society, 8(2), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.5195/hcs.2015.203 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5195/hcs.2015.203
Bust, L., Whyle, E., & Olivier, J. (2022). A Mixed Method Media Analysis of the Representation of the South African National Health Insurance Policy in the Mainstream Media From 2011 to 2019. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-1681719/v1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-1681719/v1
Bust, L., Whyle, E., & Olivier, J. (2023). A Discourse and Content Analysis of Representation in the Mainstream Media of the South African National Health Insurance Policy From 2011 to 2019. BMC Public Health, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-15144-6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-15144-6
Denche-Zamorano, Á., García-Gil, M. Á., Mendoza-Muñoz, M., & Barrios-Fernández, S. (2023). Sadness and Loneliness in Adolescents With Physical, Sensory or Health Problems in Low/Middle-Income Countries. Children, 10(6), 996. https://doi.org/10.3390/children10060996 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/children10060996
Dimitris, M. C., Gittings, M., & King, N. B. (2021). How Global Is Global Health Research? A Large-Scale Analysis of Trends in Authorship. BMJ Global Health, 6(1), e003758. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2020-003758 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2020-003758
Enoch, J., Subramanian, A., & Willig, C. (2024). How Do Research Participants With Age-Related Vision Loss Talk About Their Experiences? A Secondary Discourse Analysis of Published Qualitative Extracts. Ageing and Society, 45(6), 1104–1142. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0144686x24000138 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X24000138
Gaiha, S. M., Salisbury, T. T., Usmani, S., Koschorke, M., Raman, U., & Petticrew, M. (2021). Effectiveness of Arts Interventions to Reduce Mental-Health-Related Stigma Among Youth: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. BMC Psychiatry, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-021-03350-8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-021-03350-8
Handoyo, R. T., Ali, A., Scior, K., & Hassiotis, A. (2021). A Qualitative Exploration of Stigma Experience and Inclusion Among Adults With Mild to Moderate Intellectual Disability in an Indonesian Context. Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 26(2), 293–306. https://doi.org/10.1177/17446295211002349 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/17446295211002349
Ho, A. H. Y., Tan-Ho, G., Ngo, T. A., Ong, G., Chong, P. H., Dignadice, D., & Potash, J. S. (2021). A Novel Mindful-Compassion Art-Based Therapy for Reducing Burnout and Promoting Resilience Among Healthcare Workers: Findings From a Waitlist Randomized Control Trial. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.744443 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.744443
Iemmi, V., Gibson, L. J., Blanchet, K., Kumar, K. S., Rath, S., Hartley, S., Murthy, G. V. S., Patel, V., Weber, J., & Kuper, H. (2016). Community Based Rehabilitation for People With Disabilities in Low- And Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review. https://doi.org/10.23846/sr31143 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD010617.pub2
Ismail, H., Khoo, S., Idrus, M. M., Cheong, J. P. G., & Razman, R. (2022). Newspaper Coverage of Paralympic Athletes: A Multimodal Discourse Analysis. Sage Open, 12(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221102434 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221102434
Jaakonaho, L. (2024). Shifting the Focus: Intra-Acting With Diverse Agencies and Happy Objects in a Day Center of Disability Services. Research in Arts and Education, 2024(2), 40–52. https://doi.org/10.54916/rae.141589 DOI: https://doi.org/10.54916/rae.141589
Kolotouchkina, O., Vallés, J. E. G., & Mosquera, M. del H. A. (2020). Fostering Key Professional Skills and Social Activism Through Experiential Learning Projects in Communication and Advertising Education. Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, 76(1), 46–64. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077695820919633 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1077695820919633
Kwon, C. (2020). Resisting Ableism in Deliberately Developmental Organizations: A Discursive Analysis of the Identity Work of Employees With Disabilities. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 32(2), 179–196. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrdq.21412 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/hrdq.21412
Levi, S. (2022). Living Standards Shape Individual Attitudes on Genetically Modified Food Around the World. Food Quality and Preference, 95, 104371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2021.104371 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2021.104371
Lundy, M. (2023). “Have a Flare With Me!”: Disability Storytelling on TikTok. Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 60(1), 1065–1067. https://doi.org/10.1002/pra2.946 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/pra2.946
Mactaggart, I., Schmidt, W., Bostoen, K., Chunga, J. J., Danquah, L., Halder, A. K., Jolly, S. P., Polack, S., Rahman, M., Snel, M., Kuper, H., & Biran, A. (2018). Access to Water and Sanitation Among People With Disabilities: Results From Cross-Sectional Surveys in Bangladesh, Cameroon, India and Malawi. BMJ Open, 8(6), e020077. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2017-020077 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2017-020077
Magnusson, L., & Bickenbach, J. (2019). Access to Human Rights for Persons Using Prosthetic and Orthotic Assistive Devices in Sierra Leone. Disability and Rehabilitation, 42(8), 1093–1100. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2018.1515267 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2018.1515267
Malhotra, B., Anand, S., & Kaimal, G. (2022). Art Therapy in Burn Cases. Annals of Plastic Surgery, 88(2), S120–S127. https://doi.org/10.1097/sap.0000000000003103 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/SAP.0000000000003103
McPherson, G., O’Donnell, H., McGillivray, D., & Misener, L. (2016). Elite Athletes or Superstars? Media Representation of Para-Athletes at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. Disability & Society, 31(5), 659–675. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2016.1197823 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2016.1197823
Morin, K. L., Tomaszewski, B., Bauer, K., Blasko, A., Enriquez, G. B., Tasik, E. J., & Mehta, K. (2021). Perspectives on Disabilities in Sierra Leone. The Journal of Special Education, 56(3), 146–157. https://doi.org/10.1177/00224669211065051 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/00224669211065051
Oggero, G., Puli, L., Smith, E., & Khasnabis, C. (2021). Participation and Achievement in the Summer Paralympic Games: The Influence of Income, Sex, and Assistive Technology. Sustainability, 13(21), 11758. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132111758 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su132111758
Olusanya, B. O., Kancherla, V., Shaheen, A., Ogbo, F. A., & Davis, A. (2022). Global and Regional Prevalence of Disabilities Among Children and Adolescents: Analysis of Findings From Global Health Databases. Frontiers in Public Health, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.977453 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.977453
Rooij, A. d. (2024). Bias Against Artificial Intelligence in Visual Art: A Meta-Analysis. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/n4jdy DOI: https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/n4jdy
Santarossa, S., Temple, V. A., Rintala, P., Lloyd, M., DeMarco, B., & Foley, J. T. (2017). Muscular Strength of Adult Special Olympians by Country Economic Status. European Journal of Adapted Physical Activity, 10(1), 10–16. https://doi.org/10.5507/euj.2017.002 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5507/euj.2017.002
Sofokleous, R., & Stylianou, S. (2023). Effects of Exposure to Medical Model and Social Model Online Constructions of Disability on Attitudes Toward Wheelchair Users: Results From an Online Experiment. Journal of Creative Communications, 18(1), 61–78. https://doi.org/10.1177/09732586221136260 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/09732586221136260
Spivakovsky, C., McVilly, K., Zirnsak, T., AINSWORTH, S., Graham, L., Harrison, M., Sojo, V., Gale, L., & Genat, A. E. (2023). The Ontology and Epistemology Shaping Our Understanding of Inclusion: A Critical Review of the Research Literature on Disability and Inclusion. Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 20(3), 273–288. https://doi.org/10.1111/jppi.12461 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jppi.12461
Walsham, M., Kuper, H., Banks, L. M., & Blanchet, K. (2018). Social Protection for People With Disabilities in Africa and Asia: A Review of Programmes for Low- And Middle-Income Countries. Oxford Development Studies, 47(1), 97–112. https://doi.org/10.1080/13600818.2018.1515903 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13600818.2018.1515903
Xu, X., Yao, Z., & Sun, Q. (2019). Social Media Environments Effect on Perceived Interactivity. Online Information Review, 43(2), 239–255. https://doi.org/10.1108/oir-12-2016-0344 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/OIR-12-2016-0344
Xu, Y., Li, X., Sun, Z., Song, Y., Baker, J. S., & Gu, Y. (2021). Adjusted Indirect and Mixed Comparisons of Interventions for the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measures (PROMs) of Disabled Adults: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(5), 2406. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18052406 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18052406
Zuurmond, M., Mahmud, I., Polack, S., & Evans, J. (2015). Understanding the Lives of Caregivers of Children With Cerebral Palsy In Rural Bangladesh: Use of Mixed Methods. Disability CBR & Inclusive Development, 26(2), 5. https://doi.org/10.5463/dcid.v26i2.414 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5463/dcid.v26i2.414
