I recently finished Emily Ladau’s excellent book “Demystifying Disability”. Here are the notes I made.
Disabled people are (full and equal) people. Society and media tropes keep perpuating the myth that they’re not. A11yship is an ongoing journey of “show, don’t tell” with your support.
People
- Get non-disabled people to stop treating disabled people as a weird cross between precious gems and alien creatures. “Normal” human functioning doesn’t exist.
- If you’ve met one person with a disability… you’ve met one person with a disability. The only disability experience someone is an expert on is their own. The way PwD talk about their disability is their choice: Person-first language or Identity-first language.
Ableism
- Ableism is attitudes, actions, and circumstances that devalue people that are disabled (or are perceived as disabled). It takes a heavy toll. It implies disabled lives aren’t worth living.
- We must consider disability within an intersectional framework.
- Media depictions of disability are often ableist. Representation is often tokenism. Common tropes: inspiration or pity. Positive Portrayals have authenticity. Lived experience trumps any sort of research.
- Accessibility is about removing barriers to participation, engagement, and understanding so that all people, regardless of ability, can experience the world in a full and equal way.
Etiquette
- Treat others as you want to be treated: as full and equal human beings.
- Own up to mistakes and apologise when needed.
- Keep it short, simple, self-aware.
- With an openness and willingness to learn. Make amends or reparations. Change behaviour so it doesn’t happen again.
- It’s usually best to let the subject of the ableism lead, and echo or support them.
- Before adding your voice, check if you’re actually helping put the fire out, or if you’re just jumping on the bandwagon. Pass the microphone if you’re in a position of privilege.
Allyship
- Is a “show, don’t tell” thing. Think of allyship as a journey, not a destination.
- If you don’t belong to a community and you want to help, why do you associate “help” with that community? “Nothing about us without us”
- Don’t try to understand disability by trying it on for an afternoon. A game of pretend won’t help you understand a person’s entire life experience and identity. Simulations often evoke pity.