Description

This walking stick is in good condition. It is made of light wood, and tapers from top to bottom. It is straight, and has a silver end in a Japanese design. A silver ferrule is missing from the top.

This was displayed as part of the Extra.Ordinary exhibition at the Museum of English Rural Life. This exhibition relates the stories of six disabled individuals living in rural settings around the UK. Their experiences of collective struggle and resilience are illustrated through objects from The MERL collections. The display was curated during Disability Pride Month, which celebrates the pride that people feel whilst challenging the systemic ableism and discrimination that they face.

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Community curation: These mobility aids have not been selected to represent any one person: they are instead here to allow the reader to think about their own identity, ability, and parts of themselves that may be concealed to the rest of the world.

Sticks are deeply individual objects; they can be and are personalised. They can provide physical support to a person, but they can also provide support by indicating to the rest of the world that the user may need tolerance from the public, such as allowing them to sit down on the tube. Some of these have historically been used as markers of high status or as tools when farming. Some have been designed with the intention of telling a story. What kind of support is central to your life?