Slippers and spoons – we are all together even when you are not present

Image description: Handmade slippers contain a selection of wooden spoons, a wheat bag and an eye mask on a black handmade doll wrap.

NADSN’s Disability Pride Festival celebrates the many positives of being Disabled. Throughout Festival events, you will see the ‘slippers and spoons’* image to represent how organisers and participants of the Festival are keeping in mind that we all have limits to our energy. Kayla has creatively put together a description of the ‘slippers and spoons image’ to explain how ‘Slippers and Spoons’ respects the diversity of all our lived experiences.

*About the ‘Slippers and Spoons’ image

• The handmade slippers represent the arts and crafts projects that many people find helpful for managing various mental and physical health conditions, and the community that can be found around different kinds of craft.
• The wooden spoons refer to ‘spoon theory’ – the idea that those of us with living with chronic illnesses, for example, have to pay attention to the effects of every detail of our actions, and choose how to spend our ‘spoons’ wisely to be able to get through each day.
• The wheat bag is commonly used in pain management – heated or chilled.
• Eye masks – especially ones with a nose piece that fully blocks out light – are helpful for sensory (light) sensitivity/overwhelm and/or when daytime rest is needed. 

If you find you miss parts of the Festival, all events will be curated and made available on NADSN website.