THE DISABLED PHOTOGRAPHER'S SOCIETY
The Society is a registered National Charity, which encourages disabled people to take an active interest in photography as a therapeutic and creative pursuit. It now has members all over the U.K. and is run by unpaid volunteers dedicated to the aims and development of the Society.
Membership is open to everyone with a disability. Schools, day centres, hospital groups and similar organisations are eligible for the special terms offered with Group Membership.
ABOUT THE SOCIETY
The Society was formed in 1968 by Arthur Scrase, Chairman of the Ham Photographic Club (now long disbanded). Three ex-servicemen living in at the Royal Star & Garter Home, Richmond, had an interest in photography and, although severely disabled, were able to attend meetings by being brought along by St. John's Ambulance staff. However, owing to their disabilities they were unable to operate conventional cameras.
The other photographic society in the area was the Richmond & Twickenham P.S. who at times, provided lecturers and judges for the Ham club. One of these lecturers, named Harry Wells, was an engineer, who ran the apprentice programme for C.A.V. Ltd. at Acton, London. Harry offered to try and find a way to adapt a normal camera for disabled use and set to on the project with his apprentices. The camera selected for modification was a Konica C35, a compact auto-exposure model.
Within a period of about three months, a working prototype was produced. The shutter was fired by an air release which could be held in the hand, or by a suction release which could be operated my mouth. The film wind-on was achieved by a small solenoid-operated electric motor, which was powered by a 12 volt car battery stored under a wheelchair. If the wheelchair was electrically operated itself, the power was taken directly from its power source.
Further developments took place on camera operation and enquiries began to come in from other people with disabilities who wanted to take up photography. So it was that the Society came into being. It was originally called "Photography for the Disabled", but the name was changed in the late 1970's to the present one.
In 1988 the founder, Arthur Scrase, died and the Society was restructured with a larger committee of eleven members. Apart from the Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer, other posts were created to ensure the continued smooth running of the charity, as technical enquiries, specialist adaptations, supply of darkroom and camera equipment, repairs to equipment donated to the Society and press and public relations.
Most of the committee members are retired professional people of all ages, some with their own disabilities. The Society is run as a support organisation to encourage disabled and handicapped people of all ages and ethnic groups to take up photography as a therapeutic and creative hobby. The Society has over six hundred individual members and more than fifty groups nation-wide. The Groups are administered by local Social Service Departments, hospitals, residential homes, colleges and schools for the disabled and other charitable organisations.
The Society has members all over the UK - including many visually handicapped and registered blind members. Members are kept in touch with each other by a regular newsletter giving specialist information and providing an opportunity for the exchange of ideas. The DPS awards Associateship and Fellowships for photographic excellence commensurate with individual disability.
The Society runs an annual exhibition of photographic work consisting of prints and colour slides produced by the members. A selection of the work is compiled to form a small touring exhibition, which can be shown at suitable ventures throughout the country. In addition to the advice given to groups and individual members the Society has been involved with architects in the planning of darkroom facilities for the disabled. Membership is open to everyone with a register-able disability (although you do not need to be actually registered to apply) in the British Isles, regardless of photographic experience. The Society even gets enquiries for assistance from other European countries and as far away as Australia and New Zealand.
Annual subscription is £7.50 for individual members and £20.00 for clubs, day centres, schools and other groups. Donation are always welcome, either financial, or by gifts of working photographic equipment (no cine equipment) either for use by the DPS or to sell to raise funds. The Society has a good working relationship with other organisations, including REMAP, which comprises of occupational therapists and engineers who design and make equipment to help disabled people. The Society also has an arrangement with the Royal Photographic Society for a reduced subscription to the Society for DPS disabled members.
The Society is generously sponsored by Jessops.com. a leading photography retailer. Its patron is David Jacobs CBE, its President is Mike Birbeck, FRPS, FDPS, DPAGB, its Vice President is Sir George Pollock Bt. Hon. FRPS and Chairman is Charles Hincks B.Sc, FIAP, LRPS. All Committee members work on a voluntary basis and there are no full time paid staff. The Society operates through a Post Office box number and does not have rented offices.