Positive Energies: social inclusion of children with disabilities. A talk with parents, teachers and photographers

In recent years, a range of prenatal screening tests has become widely available and many women now choose to have these tests. When the investigations reveal foetal abnormalities, pregnant women and their families have to face the difficult decision of whether or not to continue the pregnancy. In the UK, over 90% of parents told that their unborn child has Down’s syndrome choose to have a termination.

 

The decision in the UK to offer women with a higher risk of a Down’s baby a new safer, non-invasive, test from this year, has sparked much debate. This has brought to the fore ethical questions about policies which seem to devalue people who live with disability or which imply criticism of women who choose to continue a pregnancy, despite test results indicating abnormality. In February, the General Synod of the Church of England passed a motion calling on the government to ensure that parents who have been told their unborn child has Down’s syndrome will be given “comprehensive, unbiased information” regarding the condition.

 

‘Positive Energies’, an exhibition of the work of Japanese and British photographers, opens on 16 May 2018 at the Gallery@oxo in London. It presents images by Fumio Nabata, Fiona Yaron-Field and Richard Bailey that challenge pre-conceived ideas about people with Down’s syndrome. Japan Society is pleased to hold this discussion to celebrate and focus more closely on issues raised by the exhibition. We hope this event with speakers from a range of backgrounds will provide an opportunity to explore attitudes and perspectives on Down’s and other children with disability, in Japan and the UK.

 

In the first half of the evening, we will reflect on bringing up children with disability, their education and questions relating to prenatal diagnosis with three speakers: Yumiko Little, a Japanese parent raising a child with disability in the UK, who will discuss, through her experiences with her son, the importance of children’s hospices; Cathy Darvell, a British teacher who organised a Japan-UK school exchange project involving children with special needs; and Kazuhiro Takemura, director for international relations at the Japan Down Syndrome Society and father of a child with Down’s syndrome, who will examine the concept of ‘Smart Inclusion’.

It will be followed in the second part by a talk by photographers Fumio Nabata, Richard Bailey and Fiona Yaron-Field who will discuss about their work and the exhibition ‘Positive Energies’. The evening will conclude with a Q&A panel session with all the speakers.

 

To reserve your place, please call the Japan Society office on 020 3075 1996 or email events@japansociety.org.uk or submit the online booking form.