While I would like to say that the hardest part of the recent months has been missing going out to restaurants, making plans with friends, or walking across a bustling campus, the reality is that the most difficult part for me is know that all of what has been “normal” throughout the last year will soon be coming to an end. As someone with a disability, the last year has offered me supports that I have never received throughout my entire life: time to care for myself, time for my body to heal, and time to live without any expectations from others. For many disabled people, living in a society designed for able-bodied people takes a significant toll that is not realized be able-bodied people themselves. If you don’t have to think about lighting triggering a seizure or a migraine, narrowness of hallways impeding mobility, straw usage being critical to accessibility, a door’s weight being too heavy, or stairs being used in place of a ramp, then you may not realize the barriers that they (and many other factors) create in the lives of disabled people.
There are a few categories I’ll use to describe some of the ways disabled people face barriers: lack of accommodations, expectation to be either helpless or an inspiration, and the treatment of chronically ill/disabled people as being very different than acutely ill people. Although reasonable accommodations are required through the Americans with Disabilities Act, it is still common for disabled people to face discrimination in employment, education, and in their day to day lives. This might include being overlooked for a job or being told that your particular disability does not “qualify” for an accommodation even though it would be helpful to the student’s academic work and ability.
Another common theme among abled people is the notion to either view disabled people as helpless or to view them as an inspiration because they have “been through so much”. This perpetuates the notion that being disabled is somehow inherently “bad” rather than acknowledge that if systemic and social barriers were removed from society, then disabled people would not face many of the challenges that make them appear so “inspirational”. When disabled people are used and viewed as so called “inspiration porn”, this is othering them rather than treating us with humility and as people who deserve respect and are equal to abled people.
When viewing someone with an acute diagnosis (like someone with a broken leg) versus someone with a chronic illness (like Rheumatoid Arthritis or Crohns disease), people often give much more attention to the person with the acute diagnosis or condition because it has an identifiable beginning and some semblance of an identifiable end where they will no longer need to inquire about their condition. However, chronic conditions often do not get better. They may consistently decline, or they may be cyclical and have periods where pain is minimal. This is often poorly understood and causes people to assume a disabled person is “cured” or was making up the disability.
I encourage anyone who read this to look around you as you move through the world and consider how accessible it is. Could a wheelchair move through it? Is the countertop low enough more someone in a wheelchair? Is your job flexible for someone with a chronic condition? Is your home accessible? Can you make any small changes if it isn’t? You do not know who has a disability merely because you cannot see it written blatantly. Accessibility needs to be the standard, not an afterthought.
Media Additions:
Brief and interesting overview of disability stigma and language along with the intersections of stigma and white supremacy. https://t.co/lmCRdvfvOK
— Emily Ladau (@emily_ladau) October 9, 2020
Things that people say to a person with #chronicillness but should not. Thanks for the input #NEISvoid folks! The earlier link was wrong, here is the right one – https://t.co/F0XFv9XyH7 #chronicpain #EDS #Fibromyalgia #COPD #endometriosis #POTS #MECFS pic.twitter.com/MhXRhCnjFr
— Renuka Dhinakaran (@renudhinakaran) March 26, 2021