The series is part of my ongoing PhD practice research, which constructs a visual language for disability, focusing on the relationship between disability, the body, and accessibility. As a person with Cerebral Palsy Spastic Quadriplegia, I depend on my hands for mobility, accessibility and independence to engage with the world around me. I mostly work one-handed with the left hand to complete tasks, as my right hand is more severely affected by spasms, tremors, twitches, gripping and dexterity difficulties than the left hand and thus becomes the supporting hand to hold objects into place or hold onto surfaces to assist with my mobility, to keep my balance as I move beyond my wheelchair to transfer or stand.

I recorded my hands imitating the same postures and movements to demonstrate how they function. The images gradually show the physical challenges of working with my hands simultaneously and the difficulties with coordination when working on tasks. In the process of ‘making’ the practice, my hands grew more tired as I increased the movements and changed postures. The left hand retained its posture(s), with occasional spasms, tremors, and twitches, whilst the right hand had frequent spasms, tremors and twitches that intensified as time progressed, and I eventually lost control of its posture(s). The outcome reflects the complex relationship of working with my hands, disability and coordination – how the process of working with my hands depends on a delicate balance to focus on completing the tasks, considering where I place my hands, concentrating on what my hands are doing, and working around and with the spasms, tremors and twitches to keep them at ease as I complete the tasks. The more frequent the movements in hands are, the more their functionality and dexterity decrease as the spasticity increases.