Esi is joined by Berni Vincent, a disabled activist, artist, and long-standing figure in the disability movement.

Berni shares her journey from growing up excluded and isolated, to becoming proud to be a disabled person through connection, community, and collective action. Along the way, she reflects on how meeting other disabled people shifted her thinking and sense of identity, something that also influenced Esi’s own approach to disability.

The conversation explores what inclusion really looks like in practice, the difference between meaningful support and token gestures, and why co-production still matters. There is also a clear thread around what has changed, and what has been lost, as spaces for disabled people have become more fragmented and more digital.

Berni also shares how her experiences have shaped her art today and how creativity has become another way to express identity, politics, and lived experience.

Signposting and resources

Berni Vincent’s art 

https://outsidein.org.uk/galleries/berni-vincent/

Outside In
A platform supporting artists who experience barriers to the mainstream art world.
https://outsidein.org.uk/

Under Marc’s leadership, Outside In has become a trailblazer in the art world, supporting thousands of artists who face barriers due to health, disability, social circumstance, or isolation. With over 4,000 artists showcased on its digital platform, more than 80 exhibitions (physical and online) and a growing number of outsider and non-traditional artists represented in the charity’s own Collection, Outside In has become a leading voice for artists outside the mainstream.

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