Disability Justice in Present-Day Circus Arts

Your project is really interesting! Before this semester I had never considered the nuanced relationship between disability and circus acts, and I am glad that you went so in depth in your research on that intersection. It was really interesting to hear what each of your interviewees has to say about the aspects of disability justice you chose to focus on in this project - especially since they are able to give a modern day view of the area that is not often seen by the broader public.

In particular, I found it interesting how both of your interviewees regularly mentioned the differences between teachers and students in terms of fostering a space of disability justice and care. While both often described fellow students as being important networks of interdependence and those connections being ways of sustaining oneself emtionally and physically, they also both mentioned how coaches do not often have those same priorities towards their students. It could be that the financial strains of the profession, as Sofia describes, could impact a coach's behavior towards their students, or perhaps it is more of a generational divide as Jared explains.

In any case, thank you for putting together this well-researched (and accessibly presented!) piece! I am grateful for the opportunity to learn more about this area.