#ableists

#DisabilityDayOfMourning Have you ever read a news story where a mother has killed her disabled or autistic child? Was it phrased as the mother being overwhelmed, at the end of her rope, out of options, didn’t know what else to do? Did you find yourself empathizing with her, feeling bad for her, hoping her life could find some peace? … You do know she’s a murderer, right? That the person you should feel bad for is the person she murdered? Yes, Murdered.

These news stories too often lean towards “that poor, poor mother” (or father, other family member or caregiver). They never seem to lean towards empathizing with the disabled person who was murdered. Why is that? Because disabled people are too often seen as “less than”, while the put-upon caregiver is not. Do I feel for the overwhelmed parent? Hell yes. Is the solution murder? Hell no. Does the disabled person ever get justice? Very, very rarely. Do we as a society learn from these events & start offering more services, money & help to both caregivers *and* disabled people? Very, very rarely. Should we do better? Yes. Can we do better? Yes.

In the name of all the disabled people who have been murdered by the very people who were meant to care for them…we can do better. And we should. #JusticeForTheDisabled