Challenging Myths of Disability

Event published by Christine Chettle

Event date: March 06, 2012 18:00

Tagged as: culture free_spaces repression social_struggles

Yorkshire Bank Lecture Theatre
Leeds University Business School,
University of Leeds, Moorland Road,
LS2 9JT Leeds
United Kingdom

Places: university_of_leeds

The Centre for Canadian Studies invites you to 'Extreme Sports: Challenging Myths of Disability Through the International Screen' on March 6th, 6-8:30 pm, in the Yorkshire Bank Lecture Theatre at the Leeds Business School. This event promotes awareness of the social complexities of impairment through screening the Oscar-nominated film ‘Murderball' (2005), whose outrageous mix of sex, sports and wheelchairs shocks away pre-conceived expectations around disability. After the film, experts in Canadian film, disability issues, the Paralympics, and rehabilitative health care will lead a debate, bringing together perspectives from students, academic staff and members of the wider community. This will then be followed by an informal reception.
empowerment
'Murderball' (2005) has been called 'quite simply the best film ever made on disability'. A hard-hitting sports documentary about the clash between the Canadian and the American Paralympic Wheelchair Rugby Teams, 'Murderball' offers an up-close look at the 2004 Wheelchair Rugby tournament, as well as the personal stories of the athletes who are passionate, driven, and determined to win -- as one of them says, "I'm not here for a hug, I'm here for a medal."

Quadriplegic, or Wheelchair, Rugby was invented in Canada in 1976 by athletes as a way of continuing to play sport despite limited limb functionality. The sport of Wheelchair Rugby is a sport specifically created for quadriplegics. It is an emerging sport, rather than an adapted or modified version of any able-bodied sport, and has no able-bodied sport counterpart.

The University of Leeds will welcome the Canadian Wheelchair Rugby Paralympic Team in April and August 2012 to complete preparations for the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

To register and to find out more, please go to: http://challengingmythsofdisability.eventbrite.com, or email Christine (en08cc@leeds.ac.uk).
The venue has wheelchair access and an assistive listening system, but please let us know about any other requirements.
More information about Wheelchair Rugby, ‘Murderball' and the Centre for Canadian Studies can be found below.