Former National Star students redefine disability in powerful portrait series

A unique portrait project involving former National Star students has been praised by The Guardian photography critic for challenging society’s perception of disability. 

Jake Egelnick is a writer and documentary photographer whose younger sister is a student at National Star. 

He approached National Star for support of his final project for his master’s degree in Photojournalism and Documentary Photography at London College of Communication. 

“Growing up with a younger sister with Rett syndrome, I witnessed first hand the often negative and reductive view of people with disabilities by the public and I wanted to challenge that. 

Jake worked with five former National Star students to create “Let Us See”, a series of portraits which explore how the five want to be seen by the world and how they think the world sees them. 

Charlotte Jensen, Guardian photography critic and Photo London Discovery curator, praised the project. 

She said: “People with physical and learning disabilities are still hugely under presented in the arts. I loved the fact this project is such a sensitive collaboration with the subjects, and the way it interrogates the triangulation of the gaze – between the subject, photographer and audience – by asking the subjects how they think the world sees them. The portraits are playful and poignant.”  

Former student and now disability campaigner Joshua Reeves BEM, Founder of Don’t Call Me Special dressed up in his Spider Man costume and chained to a railing for his portrait of how he believes the world sees him. 

“Being part of this portrait project meant reclaiming my story,” said Joshua.  “For most of my life, the world has looked at me through the lens of disability — seeing the chair first, the superhuman element, the word ‘special’ stamped on my existence, but never the real me. That’s why I chose to wear the Spiderman suit and wrap myself in chains. 

“Society loves to put disabled people in a box — trapped, helpless, or ‘other’— when, in reality, we can be as powerful and complex as any superhero. But the one thing society loves more than a hero is to see a hero fail and fall. That’s why we’re labelled for just trying.  

“Despite everything, some people still see the disability first. This image is my way of saying: I refuse to be defined by the chains others place on me. Projects like this force people to confront their prejudgments and, hopefully, start seeing the person behind the label… just like a hero behind the mask.” 

Former student Molly Martin said: “It’s important to show how you want to be seen as a unique individual who happens to have a disability. The hard thing is how you are treated by a society that makes visual judgements without knowing you.”