From the Yomiuri [Japan] Shimbun:

Young people with physical disabilities will present a piano performance at the UN as part of the events for the International Day of Disabled Persons on December 3, and at a concert in Carnegie Hall two days later.

In the Carnegie Hall concert, 24 people from nine countries will perform. They have various types of physical disabilities including blindness, impaired hearing, or missing fingers or limbs.

[Said one performer:] “I don’t want audiences to be impressed by the fact that I can perform despite lacking fingers. I hope that my performance will fascinate people purely with the way it sounds.”

According to the group, there is a lack of understanding of the needs of disabled people among piano instructors. There have been cases of handicapped people being turned away from piano lessons on the grounds that they cause problems for instructors.

[An organizer] said, “Disabilities are part of the performers’ personality, and bring about performances full of creativity.”

This entry was posted on Saturday, November 10th, 2007 at 11:29 am and is filed under accessibility, arts/music, public attitudes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.