First image: Black text on a distressed red background that reads “Disability is not a slur.
Second Image: Black text on an orange distressed background that reads "Autism/Autistic is not a slur.”
Third image: Black text on a yellow distressed background. It reads “We need to destigmatize the word disability. It’s not a slur, it’s not a swear word, and it’s not dirty. It’s simply a descriptor/label. But you know what are slurs? Words that actually hurt disabled people? The r-slur, cripple, lame, dumb, handicapable, deranged, deformed, crazy, insane. Most of these are still used as insults. Or equated to something bad.”
Fourth image: Black text on a red distressed background. It reads “Disabled people are already living in a world that was not made for us. A little consideration, even just about word choice, can make all the difference.
Fifth image: Black text on a yellow distressed background. It’s titled ‘Sources’ at the top of the image, which is then followed by a list of sources:
Something that I was unable to mention in the above infographic, the reason that words like insane or crazy are harmful because they reinforce that those are morally awful, horrible things, or at the very least something to be ashamed of. This is inaccurate and it only adds to the saneist propaganda already out there. The same goes for using the words 'blind’ and 'deaf’ in the wrong situations, like saying "Man I’m so deaf hahaha” or “Wow I really must be going blind.”
Saying “that’s karma” about people having disabilities or getting diseases is very ableist.
TW + CW: ableism
I saw two reddit posts today
1. A six year old girl gets a agressive form of cancer and may die.
2. A 11 year old girl gets paralyzed in a tragic accident
So what were people’s reactions??
Saying that’s karma because the parents, kids or someone tbe kid knows did something “ bad ” so people claiming the kids “ deserved ” such things..
I see this a lot. People claiming disabilities and illnesses are “ deserved ” and “ karma” because the person or someone they know did something bad…
Like it’s so messed up to say that such things are deserved and karma.
But also it has some really f×cked up underlying implications that people truly believe those with disabilities or illnesses are bad people that deserved it or in somehow karma.
(you can still contact your senators if you’re under 18, or if, like me, you are a green card holder or other immigrant who can’t vote yet.)
This one isn’t a hotbutton issue for Republicans vs Democrats so dont assume that just because you live in a blue state that your reps will definitely vote for it. Make the call.
Or that they WON’T in a red state.
Boost the heck out of this. It is bipartisan legislation, Sponsored by Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and co-sponsored by Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH). The bill number is S. 4102 and I don’t think it has a House equivalent yet. If you tell your reps to vote for S. 4102 sponsored by Sen. Brown and co-sponsored by Sen. Portman, you could be completely changing the game for disabled married couples. (The Senate has a drop-down menu by state at the top of the website https://www.senate.gov/)
EDS Culture is having to explain to family members why you’re suddenly using a wheelchair (or other mobility aid) and them not believing you truly need it
First image: Black text on a distressed red background that reads “Disability is not a slur.
Second Image: Black text on an orange distressed background that reads "Autism/Autistic is not a slur.”
Third image: Black text on a yellow distressed background. It reads “We need to destigmatize the word disability. It’s not a slur, it’s not a swear word, and it’s not dirty. It’s simply a descriptor/label. But you know what are slurs? Words that actually hurt disabled people? The r-slur, cripple, lame, dumb, handicapable, deranged, deformed, crazy, insane. Most of these are still used as insults. Or equated to something bad.”
Fourth image: Black text on a red distressed background. It reads “Disabled people are already living in a world that was not made for us. A little consideration, even just about word choice, can make all the difference.
Fifth image: Black text on a yellow distressed background. It’s titled ‘Sources’ at the top of the image, which is then followed by a list of sources:
Something that I was unable to mention in the above infographic, the reason that words like insane or crazy are harmful because they reinforce that those are morally awful, horrible things, or at the very least something to be ashamed of. This is inaccurate and it only adds to the saneist propaganda already out there. The same goes for using the words 'blind’ and 'deaf’ in the wrong situations, like saying "Man I’m so deaf hahaha” or “Wow I really must be going blind.”
Because of the shitty state of the welfare system in this country, I have run out of money five days before I get paid because I have to live on disability. Boris Johnson can spend 10 million redecorating his pad but I get to live below the poverty line and act grateful for it. Urgh.
Today in my country (Italy) a bill against homophobic transphobic, ableist and sexist attacks (it’s called DDL zan) was shutted down by our senate (we already have one that protects poc people and people with different religious beliefs). The people cheering are the ones who voted against it, they were just 154. 2 people didn’t vote and 131 people agreed with this bill.
I feel really bad to say that I don’t feel safe in a country where the violation of human rights gets cheered as if it was a football match. Today those people that feel entitled to attack you because of your sexuality, your disability or your gender won, and all I have to say is that this country is a fucking joke and I really fucking hope that they’re happy to have just created a safe space for shitty people to feel even more entitled to discriminate against someone.
So my coworker (lab mate?) is partially deaf and was given a sign language interpreter by the university (so he doesn’t pay for anything) and also got one at his new job, which is really cool.
I didn’t realize just how hard sign language interpreters work until I started interacting with his interpreter.
Any time I need a Zoom call from my coworker to get him to explain some machine learning stuff to me, his interpreter joins the Zoom call.
During 2 hour lab meetings, he has 2 interpreters that constantly switch so they don’t get tired, and when there’s only one, we have to take a break in the middle so she can rest.
Both his interpreters spent a lot of time reading complex scientific journal articles in machine learning in order to agree on what language to use during the lab meetings.
We went out for a lab lunch and everyone ordered all this delicious food…and the interpreter couldn’t eat anything, because she had to work (my coworker said it’s part of their job but still!).
She would constantly ask me what the group on the other side of the table was talking about so she could keep my coworker “in the loop” of the “office chatter” instead of only interpreting when someone spoke directly to him.
Having to struggle with words from other languages (I’m bilingual and when I mixed in some Urdu words, the interpreter asked me to translate so she could sign them). Also having to interpret conversations where everyone is interrupting each other.
Just…it’s such an important job and I didn’t realize how much work goes into it. Sign language interpreters are amazing and really do their part to not only “translate” for deaf people, but to make them feel included in all of the conversation.
not to be a bitch but maybe if you post an article about disabled liberation, make your images accessible.
[ID 1: a headline, “Wheelchair Users Block the Seoul Subway as the Right Takes Power” followed by a subheader “The hostility of the conservative party has pushed the disability-rights movement to the center of a larger fight for minority groups in South Korea.” “By Lee Hyun Choi (symbol of twitter bird)” the body of the article reads “Disability rights activists, many of them in wheelchairs, have been staging subway protests to demand accommodations on public transit. And on this day the demonstrators chained themselves to each other and to a portable ladder, reenacting a 2001 protest where activists chained themselves to the subway tracks. Now they shouted, “Pass a budget for disabled citizens! No rights without a budget!” They boarded trains in groups, which requires transit workers to install and uninstall wheelchair ramps, thus causing delays. A few of the activists had recently shaved their heads in public, a monkish ritual of sacrifice.”]
[ID 2: the body of the article continues ““We are waiting to hear back from President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s transition committee by April 20 on how they plan to ensure our basic human rights,” she explained. (April 20 is Korea’s National Day to Abolish Disability Discrimination.) “We hope to hear that the new government will do the bare minimum to safeguard our rights. But if we don’t, disabled citizens will resume boarding rush-hour trains again.””]
[ID 3: more from the body of the article “Lee Hyoung-sook, who leads a local advocacy group, was among those with her head shaved. At Gyeongbokgung station, she tried to board the train en route to Hyehwa station. Subway workers brought out a ramp so her wheels wouldn’t get stuck in the large gap between the platform and the car. Four more wheelchair users waited their turn to board in other sections of the train. While workers moved their one ramp around to get every wheelchair activist on board, the subway doors kept closing in on them. “Fellow citizens, we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience,” Lee told her fellow passengers.”]
+ The date board of social workers decided to follow Greg Abbott’s recommendation and take away protections for LGBTQ+ people
+ And disabled people.
+ Both groups are vulnerable already but with COVID-19 this change puts disabled people and queer people’s health at more risk
+ They are facing backlash largely from the queer community. I haven’t heard much from disabled people but that could honestly be my ignorance and me not being in the loop of that info
+ The national board of social workers condemned the Texas chapters actions
+ Abbott said that the Board took his recommendation because “the board’s nondiscrimination clause went beyond the state’s policy on social work”
Washington, D.C. – The Arc supports a bipartisan bill introduced in Congress to finally give people with disabilities and older Americans significantly more freedom to earn and save money without risking the loss of vital benefits, their livelihoods, and their ability to support themselves and members of their family. The SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act, introduced by U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman on Tuesday, updates Supplemental Security Income (SSI) asset limits for the first time since the 1980s. Current SSI asset limits prevent individuals who receive the modest benefit from saving more than $2,000.
The bill raises SSI asset limits from $2,000 to $10,000 for individuals and from $3,000 to $20,000 for married couples and indexes them to inflation moving forward. SSI provides money to 8 million adults and children with disabilities and older Americans. Many recipients are Black, Hispanic, and other people of color and further marginalized – making it even more critical that Congress pass this bill.
“The SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act is a positive step forward in The Arc’s ongoing push to give millions of people with disabilities the economic opportunity they deserve and more financial security to save for emergencies and unexpected expenses. We see too many people with disabilities and their families forced to impoverish themselves in order to maintain critical SSI benefits, instead of being able to save for the future and for emergencies that arise in all of our lives,” said Peter Berns, CEO of The Arc of the United States. “Raising asset limits would significantly improve the lives of people with IDD who receive SSI.”
