In celebration of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Tilting the Lens commissioned the talented Disabled artist Ananya Rao-Middleton to create an artwork for our annual card that embodies community, hope, and the ideal of crafting a more accessible world.
Ananya is an illustrator and disability activist who uses her work to speak truth to the voices of marginalised communities. Her experiences of being an Autistic, Queer and Disabled woman of colour inspire her creative work.
"I've overcome life-altering challenges like a brain injury and MS diagnosis to pursue my passion as an Illustrator. My path is defined by daring to dream and bravely turning those dreams into reality. Throughout it all, the disabled community has been my steadfast support, and I'm deeply thankful to be embraced by such a caring community."
The design she created features different types of individuals coming together in one space, showcasing both diversity and collaboration. Ananya incorporates thoughtful imagery throughout her work: a butterfly on a table symbolises hope and change through metamorphosis, while the sunflowers framing the scene represent non-apparent disabilities.
From all of us at Tilting the Lens, we want to thank you for your support this year. We look forward to the exciting possibilities the next year holds as we continue to learn from and collaborate with Disabled artists, creatives, educators, advocates and more.
[Image description: A hand holds a card in front of a red Royal Mail postbox. The card depicts a group of five people are gathered around a brown, rectangular table which is in the middle foreground. On its surface is a purple globe, two pieces of white paper, some pens and a wrench.
A Black woman with short, brown hair and a purple jumper stands on the left stretching out a measuring tape and looks down onto it. Next to her, in the middle of the image, stands a white man with short, blonde hair and a blonde beard. He is wearing an orange scarf and a dark green jumper and blue trousers. He is looking straight ahead. An Asian woman stands to his right. She has long, brown hair and is wearing an orange jumper, a red skirt and a grey belt. She is usingcrutches and points down to the table. Sitting at the table and in the middle of the foreground is a Black, visibly Disabled woman with short, purple hair. She is wearing small, gold earrings, a yellow, short-sleeved shirt and a red, knitted vest. To her left side, sits a Black, visibly Disabled woman who uses a green wheelchair. She is bald and wears an orange top, yellow-rimmed glasses, a light purple headband with a ribbon at the top.
The background of the image features a bookshelf with colourful books on the top shelf. On topof the bookshelf is a red vase with yellow and orange sunflowers - a deliberate symbol of non-apparent disabilities. To the right, there are some floating shelves, decorated with colourful books and a purple mug with pencils and pens in it]