The Shaping of DAM - ACE289.3

IV Caption: "The Freelance Editors: the Creative Writing Editor." Keith Ashton answers criticism about poor quality writing, some of which he attributes to "arts workers in day centres ... with evangelical thoughts… that they’re going to help the disabled express themselves". Illustrations. Ashton explains how he chooses the pieces he does print. Some of the specially adapted equipment he uses in his work. Ashton says that he’s been pleasantly surprised at the large numbers of disabled people working in the arts and looks forward to the day when DAM is no longer needed. V Caption: "The Freelance Editors: the Images Editor." Claire Collison’s VO reading the piece she wrote two years earlier to introduce herself as Images Editor over illustrations and cover designs, etc. She says that her role gives her a lot of power. She divides the work into that in which artists deal with their disability (issue based) and that which comes from artists who think their disability is irrelevant to their work, differentiates between professional and amateur work, and suggests that all the work can be used to produce positive and political statements about people with disabilities. She describes a particular cover illustration, and talks about the need to provide audio-descriptions about all the images selected. The editor playing one of these while looking at the illustrations described. VI Caption: "Being True: mourning." Demonstration outside the Arts Council offices, a "funeral procession". VII Caption: "Independent Life: DAM takes over a new editor." Humphrey hands over pile of DAM issues. Credits