Home: Opening Doors - Renting For All is a photographic exhibition exploring the importance of accessibility and freedom of choice when seeking accommodation for people living with a disability.
The exhibition is curated by Dr. Lex Walkling and features 28 portraits by Melbourne photographer, Paul Dunn. Accompanied by personal stories from each participant, Home offers a glimpse into the lived experiences of people living with a disability. The exhibition advocates for the right of choice for people living with disability, and represents the importance of independent living — an essential step toward creation of creative and meaningful lives.
Commissioned by AMIDA and funded by the Victorian State Government, Home is affiliated with the ‘Opening Doors: Renting For All’ project, an initiative led by people with a disability, providing relevant information that will guide individuals through the rental process.
The broader ‘Opening Doors - Renting For All’ project is a response to the ‘Victorian Hearing of the Royal Commission into the Abuse of People with Disabilities (December 2019)’. The hearing focused on the impact of inadequate accommodation as an infringement of basic human rights. Its findings brought to light the limited range of accommodation support available to people living with disability, and an over reliance on congregate care models which constrain individual choice.
The exhibition, Home, supports these findings by celebrating the freedom to enjoy independence and community, when a broad range of housing options are available to people living with a disability.
The project also includes a collection of short films by award winning filmmaker, Lawrence Johnston. The short films include a collection of accounts by people with lived experience of disability, sharing their insights in accessing suitable housing and what makes a place a home.
To view the short films, and to read more about this project, please follow the link below.
Home - Opening Doors
Opening Doors – Renting For All has been commissioned by AMIDA (Action for More Independence and Dignity in Accommodation) and funded by the Victoria Government.