A PhD student filmmaker in Australia made a film about disability – entitled Laughing at the Disabled where he sent two men with intellectual disabilities into various situations where they ended up being abused and physically attacked. At a review meeting where the rushes for the film were shown members of the faculty are horrified at the project and speak out. The members of staff get suspended not for threatening the academic freedom of the PhD candidate but for their behaviour

It’s a film school that is involved in the whole mess – so there is a documentary being made about the controversy and you can see clips on youtube here and here. The second one in particular looks at the reaction of disability activists.

I wonder what ethical process the student had to go through to get approval for this? And the disability organisation involved? Well it’s clear that very little research was carried out into the background of this group by the university. One look at their website indicates that they are not an organisation of disabled people but a service provider staffed by able bodied people – and what has a personality test got to do with disability and independent living?

Peter Black looks at the press and Oz Blog reaction – particularly on the academic freedom issues (that of the film maker and the lecturers commenting.

H/t for initial story to Ouch .