Unearthing Lived Experiences: integrating disability, arts, and social work in Africa

TY - CHAP

T1 - Unearthing Lived Experiences

T2 - integrating disability, arts, and social work in Africa

AU - Kaparounaki, Kalia

AU - Lazaro, Mayeso Chinseu

AU - Levy, Susan

PY - 2025/8/29

Y1 - 2025/8/29

N2 - Traditional arts-based practices of poetry, song, dance, music, and storytelling are fundamental to African community life, to communicate, share, and celebrate life events. They are a conduit for excavating and sustaining indigenous knowledge. There are however questions over who is included and excluded within this knowledge formation and exchange. With a focus on Africa, a culturally rich continent where people with disabilities account for around 15% of the population, arts-based practices can support the rethinking and understanding of disability and inclusion. This chapter explores the role of arts-based practices in contributing to enabling previously silenced voices to be heard, for lived experiences to become visible, and to challenge narratives that stigmatise and marginalise. This experiential knowledge is presented as indigenous knowledge, as alternative epistemologies to the hegemony of the Global North. The chapter frames disability, arts, and indigenous knowledge within social work practice, and the role of the profession to empower, and achieve change in the lives of people with disabilities.

AB - Traditional arts-based practices of poetry, song, dance, music, and storytelling are fundamental to African community life, to communicate, share, and celebrate life events. They are a conduit for excavating and sustaining indigenous knowledge. There are however questions over who is included and excluded within this knowledge formation and exchange. With a focus on Africa, a culturally rich continent where people with disabilities account for around 15% of the population, arts-based practices can support the rethinking and understanding of disability and inclusion. This chapter explores the role of arts-based practices in contributing to enabling previously silenced voices to be heard, for lived experiences to become visible, and to challenge narratives that stigmatise and marginalise. This experiential knowledge is presented as indigenous knowledge, as alternative epistemologies to the hegemony of the Global North. The chapter frames disability, arts, and indigenous knowledge within social work practice, and the role of the profession to empower, and achieve change in the lives of people with disabilities.

U2 - 10.4324/9781003565420-8

DO - 10.4324/9781003565420-8

M3 - Chapter (peer-reviewed)

SN - 9781032751993

BT - Activating Arts to Understand Disability in Africa

A2 - Baker, Charlotte

A2 - Imafidon, Elvis

A2 - Moolman, Kobus

A2 - Samba, Emelda Ngufor

PB - Routledge

ER -