ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines how disability has been represented in theatre, what access disabled people have had to it, and what can be achieved in the pursuit of social justice with young people in relation to awareness of, and provision for, disability. Engaging in drama and theatre presents learners with opportunities to manipulate and challenge traditional perceptions of disability in order to develop mechanisms of resilience and so enable social change. Drama can be applied to the cause of educating for and about social justice, though playwright Edward Bond warns that: Drama cannot instruct. It confronts, perplexes and intrigues imagination into recreating reality. Historical scripts, particularly when informed by real life stories told by disabled people themselves, can stimulate drama that challenges traditional perceptions. Embodying life stories which reflect unfamiliar situations and untold histories generates new emotions for performers to explore as they re-create situations which give new insights into social contexts.
