Actors from The DisAbility Project perform scenes that shine a light on issues faced by people with disabilities. Photograph by Dave Howell, 2004. Courtesy of That Uppity Theatre Company.

There are approximately 55 million people living with disabilities in the United States. In fact, they are the country’s largest minority. Yet, according to the National Organization on Disability, only 35 percent of these persons are employed full or part time. This statistic is the result of structural barriers, including disincentives in our health care system and inadequate public transportation, and more important, cultural barriers such as ignorance and discrimination.

Fortunately, organizations are partnering to bring about awareness regarding discriminatory practices and people with disabilities. In October—National Disability Employment Awareness Month—the Missouri History Museum invited That Uppity Theatre Company, which founded and produces The DisAbility Project, to give two performances of its short play Working. The event was co-sponsored by the Governor’s Council on Disability, Missouri Career Center, and Paraquad, who had representatives on hand to answer questions about employment.

				The cast members of Working are (left to right) Joan Lipkin, Ana Jennings, and Leah Norris. Castmate Greg Matzker is not pictured. Photograph by Jeff Hirsch, 2007. Courtesy of That Uppity Theatre Company.

Performed by people with and without disabilities, the play aims to shatter myths about disabled people and the workplace. Four performers act out all the scenes in the show, which spoofs popular television characters. The actors jump into different personas from popular shows, performing in an imaginary television set. Joan Lipkin, artistic director and co-founder of The DisAbility Project, plays the role of the channel surfer. With one click of the remote, she invites the audience to watch “David Letterman” read a Top Ten list of “Things You Shouldn’t Ask a Person with a Disability.” An episode of The Brady Bunch features Jan finally getting a chance to outshine her older, more popular sister Marcia when she advocates rights for people with disabilities in the workplace.

Other cameos include “Mr. Rogers” and “Alex Trebek,” who address disability etiquette, how to integrate people with disabilities into the workforce, and disability statistics. “We decided to use pop culture images from TV shows from the present and the past to give the piece popular appeal,” Lipkin explained. “It really makes it a lot of fun,” she said. “It’s only 30 minutes long, but the show is chock full of information and yet extremely entertaining and gets information out there in a fresh way.”

Lisi Bansen, performing with The DisAbility Project. Lisi was struck and killed in her wheelchair by a car in 2005. The accident was a direct result of the lack of curb cuts in her neighborhood. Curb cuts are ramps that make sidewalks more accessible. Photograph by Kate Clancy, 2004. Courtesy of That Uppity Theatre Company.

Working was born of an increasing demand from the public. The DisAbility Project performs a variety of short pieces about wide-ranging issues for people with disabilities, but only one dealt with the workplace. “We were repeatedly getting requests from social services agencies and corporations asking if we had something that was more specific to disability and employment,” Lipkin said. “Clearly, there was a need in the community, so we decided to create a piece to specifically address those needs.”

In its eleventh season, The DisAbility Project has performed for over 60,000 people at schools, special events, cultural institutions, corporations, social service agencies, and even in a car wash. As one of the only projects of its kind in the country, it has received numerous awards, including ones from Arts for Life, the Recreation Council, Governor's Council on Disability, FOCUS St. Louis’s What’s Right with the Region! Award for Improving Social Justice and Racial Equality, and a Healthcare Hero, among others.

Its mission is to “empower individuals, honor their stories, imaginations, foster community and enhance public awareness about disability through innovative theatre of the highest quality and civic dialogue.” And after the performances at MHM, the feedback seems to prove the mission is being accomplished.

“People love our work, and, in general, find it transformative because we both entertain and educate,” Lipkin said. Comments from a survey of the performances at the Museum include those of Ciarra Gailes of Paraquad: “The play was excellent. Usually, I am not an emotional person, but for some reason it made me want to cry—I was teary-eyed. I got a chance to see how America really looks at others with disabilities.”

				In the piece “Facts & Figures,” the troupe reviews the history of disability throughout the world. Photograph by Dave Howell, 2004– 2005. Courtesy of That Uppity Theatre Company.

Another attendee, Kimberly Barnes, said, “This performance was very memorable and had a great impact on me. I am already thinking of people who can benefit from this information.”

The theatre troupe also performs a wide variety of short pieces that deal with aspects of disability. One piece called “Coffeehouse” tells the true story of people who try to convince the owners of a coffeehouse to make it accessible for people using wheelchairs, to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. In another piece, “Facts & Figures,” performers address societal attitudes toward disability, including demeaning figures of speech.

These eye-opening revelations are meant to break barriers and encourage dialogue. “We tell people when we perform, ‘welcome to a guilt-free zone,’” Lipkin said. “The theater work we do makes it easier to explore the difficult conversations, helping people of all ages to work through their fears and understand it’s a normal part of life.”

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