I think a lot of abled people get confused about ableism because they fail to recognize how diverse a category disability is. There are so many kinds of disabilities - intellectual, sensory, motor, chronic illness, neurodivergence, limb differences, to name a few - and people in these categories will have different needs.
Which is why you often end up with disability advocates saying seemingly “contradictory” things. One group may be advocating for more support while another wants increased independence. People with a terminal illness will fight for a cure and more research whereas some ND/sensory disabilities want to stop having their experience medicalized, and so on. The kinds of ableism that people experience will also vary for that reason.
And having one kind of disability doesn’t make you an expert on all of them! Which is why it’s important to have diverse disability rep within organizations and groups. I’ve encountered organizations in the past that claim to be accessible/disability friendly because they have one disabled person on their board, only to find them woefully unequipped to deal with my very different disabilities.
This disability pride month I really encourage abled “allies” to examine the ways they try to flatten disability into a monolith and to make an effort to listen to and uplift diverse disabled voices.
A disability pride moodboard for the disability pride month of July! All photos are my own, please credit if you re-use.
[Image description: a three by three moodboard, with the disability pride flag in the middle. The flag is black with five jagged stripes in the middle. It’s from bottom to top blue, yellow, white, red, and green. Around it are photos themed of the colors of the flag. The top row from left to right: a small red flame in darkness, a sunset over dark mountains, and a dark leafy branch set against green leaves. The middle row from left to right: a close up on stones and shells piled in the darkness, the flag itself, and a black cat sitting on a soft black and white patterned blanket. The bottom row from left to right: a blue nightlight in the dark, a hand curling into dark carpet with blue and yellow light patterns across it, and finally yellow string lights hanging in the dark. End image description.]
did the preliminary research, it does not appear to be a scam, the parent organization SciAccess grew out of conversations at scientific conferences about equity and inclusion in STEM. Both ZERO-G social media pages have confirmed the partnership
“The goal of this mission is to bring together the largest and most diverse group of disabled crew members in a weightless environment, with the hopes to learn how to adapt and make accessible outer-space travel for disabled space explorers, scientists, and researchers. The Mission: AstroAccess parabolic flight is scheduled to take place on October 17, 2021, launching from Long Beach, California.
“Our mission is to change outer space and change the world. If you are a disabled person who is confident, enthusiastic, playful, and literally willing to float upside down to change the future, we are looking for you!” says Dr. Sheri Wells-Jensen, Associate Professor of Linguistics at Bowling Green State University.”
There is an impressive team behind AstroAccess, you can find the full list on their site here.
Here’s a couple of those bios.
“Anna Voelker is the founder and Executive Director of the SciAccess Initiative, an international program dedicated to advancing disability inclusion in STEM. Through SciAccess, they lead numerous science inclusion initiatives, including an annual conference launched by their receipt of the 2018 Ohio State University President’s Prize. Anna specializes in accessible space science outreach for diverse learners and has worked extensively with blind and low vision students using 3D printing and data sonification. In June of 2021, Anna joined the Aspen Science Center as its new Executive Director. Anna is a 2018 Brooke Owens Fellow and previously worked at NASA Kennedy, NASA Goddard, the Space Telescope Science Institute, the International Astronomical Union’s Office of Astronomy for Development, and the Aerospace Corporation.”
“Eric Ingram is the Founder and CEO of SCOUT Inc., a company de-risking space operations with sensor suites that enable spacecraft to see and understand the area around them. He also currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Space Frontier Foundation. He was previously an Aerospace Engineer for the Licensing and Evaluation Division of the FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation, where he gained expertise in the regulatory environment. Prior to this, Eric was an engineer for Deep Space Industries, where he designed cubesat subsystems for testbed missions. Outside of the space industry, Eric previously served as the President of the United States Wheelchair Rugby Association, leading the USWRA to its largest budget surplus in its 30+ year history. Eric has competed in the sport of wheelchair rugby for 15+ years, competing domestically for several club teams, and internationally with the US Developmental team. Eric holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics from Old Dominion University, most of a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Houston, a sport pilot certificate, and is working towards SCUBA certification.”
“Dr. Sheri Wells-Jensen is an associate professor of linguistics at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. Along with various aspects of astrobiology, her research interests include social aspects of human colonization, disability, the relationship between language, embodiment and thought, language evolution and ways in which alternative sensory inputs could influence the evolution of scientific thought. She is on the board of SOCIA (Social and Conceptual Issues in Astrobiology and METI (Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence) International.”
“Dr Jamie L. Molaro is the Executive Director of Disabled for Accessibility in Space (DIAS). Dr. Molaro is a planetary scientist at the Planetary Science Institute and located geographically with host institution the Caltech/Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Her research focuses on understanding the way that rocky and icy materials fracture and break down, driving landscape evolution on asteroids, comets, and moons. She is also a team member on NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission to retrieve a sample of rock from an asteroid surface. Service is an integral part of Molaro’s career, including organizing and running exhibitions and workshops on science and data-driven art, and leading DAIS (Disabled for Accessibility in Space). DAIS is a peer networking, support, and advocacy group for disabled and chronically ill people in space science and related fields and professions, and proud collaborator in Mission: AstroAccess.”
[ID: A video from @shelbykinsxo on TikTok of Amy Evans, who is wearing a bright red beret, black glasses, red lipstick, gold earrings, and a black turtleneck. Her brown hair is braided and lies across her right shoulder. She is using a ventilator and sits on a light grey chair in a beige room with a T.V. in the background. She says the following:
Hi everyone. My name is Amy Evans and I’m from Perth, Australia. I’m 23 years old and I have a neuromuscular condition called Nemaline Myopathy. It is a rare condition with roughly 30 people in Australia having NM. As a result of my condition, I use an electric wheelchair and ventilator. I also have a support worker help me with everyday tasks.
July is disability pride month and to celebrate Shelby has let me take over her account, so thank you to her. To me, disability pride month is about three things: awareness, acceptance, and action. Firstly, disability pride month is about raising awareness. Disability pride month isn’t largely covered by mainstream media. Disabled people are disabled because the environment around them doesn’t consider or adapt to their needs, therefore, this awareness is important. The awareness that comes from this month shines a light on how people can do better.
Next, it’s about acceptance. From a disabled person’s point of view, it’s all about accepting yourself, which can be a process for some. You’re also not going to accept your disability 100% of the time, and that’s ok. Lastly, it’s about action. Awareness and acceptance are nothing if something isn’t done about it. If you’re a non-disabled person then you can share disabled people’s content on social media, raise access issues in public places such as shops or restaurants, or give us a platform that we can get our message out on.
So, I hope you liked my take on what disability pride month is to me. If you enjoyed this video, head to my Instagram amy_c_evans to see more. Thanks! /end id]
My wish: For video content creators (e.g. Youtubers) to leave a 1/2″ of black space at the bottom of their videos instead of filling them with graphics so that there’s room for captions. Even if you don’t have the time to make the captions yourself, auto-captions still need a place to be.
If you want to help the #StopTheShock campaign and end the torture of disabled people at the Judge Rotenberg Center in Canton, MA, this is how. If you are in the US you can now sign an open letter to US Congress by following the link below. The letter calls for an amendment to the Keeping All Students Safe Act (KASSA) which would prohibit the use of aversives on disabled students, including the Graduated Electronic Decelerator (GED) which is the device used at the JRC to administer painful electric shocks for behaviours such as talking out of turn, stimming or even for taking too long to remove a coat.
Once you follow the link it’s as simple as sending a text to the number shown. You can also print the page with the QR code and put it up on bulletin boards to raise awareness!
If you are not living in the US there are other ways to help, see this previous post, the AuTeach website and the rest of this blog for details. Share this message far and wide, and hopefully we can make a difference to the students at the JRC. Thank you.
TheJudge Rotenberg Center is a special needs day and residential school located in Canton, Massachusetts which accepts ages 5 to adult.
They use behaviour modification to control their residents such as Applied Behaviour Analysis. But in some cases, they also use extreme and torturous forms of punishment such as prolonged restraint, food deprivation and electric shocks.
Theskin shock is not to be confused with ECT, which is done for very different reasons and also under anesthesia, so that the person doesn’t feel any pain.
No, Electric Skin Shock, also known as the Graduated Electronic Decelerator, is MEANT TO CAUSE SEVERE PAIN in order to punish undesired behaviours in actual children and adults.
This is Jennifer Msumba’s story of how she escaped the Judge Rotenberg Center. If you have 14 minutes to spare, please watch this video (or save it to come back to it when you have time).
She describes what her life was like at the JRC and what it felt like to be shocked by one of these devices. She was under court-appointed guardianship so her parents had no say in where she stayed or what therapy she underwent.
After her first escape attempt, she was secluded for two months and kept in restraints in a cold isolation room. Her home visits had already been taken away from her and if staff members heard her say anything negative about the JRC on the phone to her mom, the call would be terminated instantly.
This is what the #StopTheShock campaign is really about.
If you are unsure how to help, or executive dysfunction is getting in the way, TikTok user @/virydeansea has put together a step-by-step guide to the current action points listed on auteach.com which are also listed below (slightly modified for tumblr to include links).
1.Google auteach or follow this link to auteach.com
2.Scroll down on the homepage and click the purple Help Nowbutton.
3. In a separate tab, open up your email.
4. Create new draft.
5. In the new draft, copy and paste the provided script.
6.Edit the script with some personal notes. (Basically just tell them why you decided to help! What does this mean to you personally?)
7.Choose an organisation to address the email to (full list at the bottom of the Help Now page).
8.Edit the script to contain the name of the organisation/people in power.
9. Give your email a subject. (URGENT: Stop the Shock).
10.Hit Send.
If you have made it this far, thank you. Please also remember that the Judge Rotenberg Center disproportionately holds children of colour, so this is very much a racial issue as well as a disability rights issue. We cannot allow inhumane torture devices to be banned only to decide to make an exception just for disabled children of colour, especially during Disability Pride Month.
Like, reblog, spread the word, and most importantly please make sure to follow through with sending these emails. This fight has been ongoing for years and we need your support.
Wondering what to do next to help the #StopTheShock movement? AuTeach is hosting a live event for Stop the Shock on Facebook and YouTube, with guests Lydia X. Z. Brown & Shain Neumeier on July 11th, 2021 at 12pm PST.
For details please see the details on the AuTeach website which will take you to the Facebook or YouTube page, where you can subscribe and set an automatic reminder for the event. (If, like me, time zones give you a headache, Facebook and YouTube will convert them for you).
After about 6 years of trying to make this happen, and almost giving up a few months ago, I’m finally getting an assistance dog. I have 10 different disabilites, chronic illnesses and disorders and so as you can probably imagine, my lfie is quite restricted.
I really hope and believe that this pupper can change that, and together we can gain my independence.
It won’t be easy though, or cheap- the charity estimates it will cost around £1200 for a year of raising him and training costs (that I will be responsible for, the charity will cover what they can).
I can’t work right now due to my health, so I’ve set up a just giving page to help cover the costs of the first year of training and raising him. So far I’ve raised enough to just about cover basic assistance dog training (yay!) but I still have to pay for puppy classes, travel to the trainer, his equipment and of course the general costs of raising a puppy. I want to be able to give him the life he deserves and take care of him well.
I know times are hard for everyone, so if you can’t donate then I understand and I don’t want anyone to feel pressured. If you could share or boost the page or this post in any way I’d really, really appreciate it.
Thank you for reading
P.s his name is Hobi, because he is my hope and sunshine, so if kpop tumblr could see and share this I’d be really grateful
Though the jokes that “since gay pride month is over, july is now gay wrath month” are funny and all, it’s important to remember that July is ACTUALLY Disability Pride Month and y'all should really be focused on boosting disabled voices and issues this month! For instance, the fact that marriage equality doesn’t actually truly exist in the United States for disabled people, or the fact that disabled people are forced to live in poverty or lose their disability benefits, or the fact that 1 in 5 people with chronic pain end up sufferring from alcoholism or other addictions, or how accessibility is still a daily battle for all of us, or how there are active hate groups on places like reddit who try to “call out” those they see as “faking” their disabilities.
This July, boost disabled voices. Talk about the issues that our community faces. Call out ableism.
