April is Autism Acceptance month! You want to be accepting? You want to be supportive? Be accommodating.
People will say they accept autism, and then berate us for being autistic. Don’t tell us you accept us when you regularly punish us for being ourselves.
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.”
Me: I’m chronically ill which makes me disabled. I managed to adjust my life so I can live as comfortably as possible, which means I don’t work, being poor, and not doing much. Sometimes I have to sleep all day, sometimes I go on hikes with my dog, sometimes I exist, sometimes I want to kill myself. That’s my life and I’m okay with it.
Ppl: BbUuuTTt — ThAt soUndS dEpreSSinNngG!
Ppl: buTtT — I COulDn'TttT lIvE liKe thIsS!
Ppl: BbuUUTtTtT — iSn’T tHEre ANyThiNg THaT caNn bE DoNe tO chAnGe YOur depREssIng stAte?
Ppl: bUuuUtT — LivE iS abOUt LIVING, NOT EXISTING!
Ppl: buTT — hOw cAn yOu LIvee LikE tHat?
Ppl: buTttTTTTT — DoNt be So neGaTiVe, if IT wAsS mE, I WouLd bE mORe HopEFuLl, That thEre WiLL Be a CuRe, AND My dePreSsIng LIfesTyLe WoUlD eNd.
Ppl: BUttT — YOure SUCH AN INSPIRATION!!! I wOuLdvE kIlleD MYsElf By NoW!
Me: Well, at this point we should think about who is the really negative person in this conversation.
Ppl:
Ppl:
Ppl:
Ppl: Yeah, no, you’re negative, saying you’re disabled is negative, disability is okay in and of itself, but don’t call yourself disabled, because that’s so negative, not having goals and not accomplishing anything in life is a wasted life, contributing to society is important, you’re so poor for not seeing how you’re wasting your life, you should really try to change something, although I admire you, because I would have killed myself by now, just saying.
Also people with reading comprehension issues saying they can’t just sit down and read theory and need other sources like videos/audiobooks/etc isn’t fucking childish. Indicating that we’re lazy for not wanting to struggle our way through hell like we did when we were students is ableist as fuck. Just because systems built by conservatives fail to include us doesn’t mean you get to as well.
The world is geared towards non-disabled people and if you can’t understand that your leftism is shallow and garbage.
the “right to die” means nothing if we are not also free to live. ableism is real, and it is vicious, and it is so incredibly pervasive, and it tells us every day that disabled ppl are worth less in life than they are in death.
assisted suicide / “right to die” doesn’t exist in a vacuum–it’s spurred on by a society that believes that disabled lives aren’t worth living. and that’s not a right; it’s a death sentence.
i hate this weird attitude in society where like, an elderly person has a mobility aide and it’s just like ok yeah thats ‘normal’ but when a young person is using one suddenly everyone wants to know what happened and why you’re using it and what happened to you. or if they dont come up to you they’re loudly discussing nearby because they assume a mobility aide means you can’t hear them gossiping and its just so frustrating.
young people can have disabilities too and its really fucking rude to go up to a stranger and expect them to just share personal and sometimes sensitive information.
honestly sometimes i feel like some kind of sideshow attraction because being young with a disability is seen as ‘weird’ and people act like using a mobility aide makes your body public property.
This post contains mentions of the Holocaust, ableism, and eugenics. Please do not read if you are sensitive to these topics.
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There have been conversations regarding whether the term Asperger’s should still be used in the autism community. This post will explain the biggest issue I and other people have with the label. There’s no way to gently segue into this so I’m just going to start.
The term Asperger’s was coined by an actual Nazi. Hans Asperger worked with the Nazis during the Holocaust. He saved some children who he deemed intelligent enough by giving them the label of Asperger’s and sent the rest of the kids to die.
Some people call him a hero for saving kids during the Holocaust, but he sent children to be murdered because he saw them as genetically inferior. He saw some of us as a “hardly bearable burden” to our families. He believed that they should be put out of our misery.
I do not believe allistics should use the term Asperger’s to describe an autistic person. I do not believe that autistic people should use it for themselves either. However, I’m not saying that you should assume someone is a bad person for using it. I figure that most do not know the history. There are autistics who use the term for various reasons even knowing the history, which I heavily disagree with.
And I’m not the only one who feels this way. I learned this from listening to Jewish autistic people speak on the subject. If you are not Jewish, it is best to listen to those who have the authority on the matter.
Here is a video of a Jewish autistic person explaining how use of this label harms not only Jewish autistics, but autistic people as a whole. She also makes a very good point about Asperger’s being a functioning label.
Here is an article about Hans Asperger being a Nazi.
Some of the information here is correct. However, Asperger did not name the condition he studied after himself. He actually called it “autistic psychopathy,” back when psychopathy meant something different than it does today. A psychologist named Lorna Wing named Asperger’s Syndrome after him decades before it was clear that he was a Nazi. (Source: Neurotribes by Steve Silberman, paperback edition)
To be absolutely clear, I don’t think what Asperger did was okay. It’s just important to be accurate in informational posts.
This post contains mentions of the Holocaust, ableism, and eugenics. Please do not read if you are sensitive to these topics.
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There have been conversations regarding whether the term Asperger’s should still be used in the autism community. This post will explain the biggest issue I and other people have with the label. There’s no way to gently segue into this so I’m just going to start.
The term Asperger’s was coined by an actual Nazi. Hans Asperger worked with the Nazis during the Holocaust. He saved some children who he deemed intelligent enough by giving them the label of Asperger’s and sent the rest of the kids to die.
Some people call him a hero for saving kids during the Holocaust, but he sent children to be murdered because he saw them as genetically inferior. He saw some of us as a “hardly bearable burden” to our families. He believed that they should be put out of our misery.
I do not believe allistics should use the term Asperger’s to describe an autistic person. I do not believe that autistic people should use it for themselves either. However, I’m not saying that you should assume someone is a bad person for using it. I figure that most do not know the history. There are autistics who use the term for various reasons even knowing the history, which I heavily disagree with.
And I’m not the only one who feels this way. I learned this from listening to Jewish autistic people speak on the subject. If you are not Jewish, it is best to listen to those who have the authority on the matter.
Here is a video of a Jewish autistic person explaining how use of this label harms not only Jewish autistics, but autistic people as a whole. She also makes a very good point about Asperger’s being a functioning label.
Here is an article about Hans Asperger being a Nazi.
The Robot Apocalypse came. Cities are empty, you stayed since you’re almost out of insulin and will die soon anyway. The robots find you and while processing you one of them sees your insulin pump and asks if you want to apply for dual citizenship, since the pump technically makes you a cyborg.
Suddenly all the people with prosthetics, wheelchairs, implants, and the like are getting the accommodations and help they need without having to be poor or locked away in a care center. This is an apocalypse I can get behind!
The other survivors left us behind.
They said it was nothing personal—the bus could only fit so many people, after all, and escape would be hard enough without “dead weight” dragging them down.
We understood. The world was ending, not changing.
“Shouldn’t we be looking for shelter or something?” Samantha asked as we sat around a garbage-can fire. (Tao was experienced in making them, from what we gathered, and the flames had grown in no time. We tried to ask him how he knew what to do. He responded, but none of us knew sign language.)
Hank snorted. “What’s the point? Not like we’ll make it long, anyway.” He rubbed the spot beneath his shirt where we knew his insulin pump to be. “Least, I won’t. You folks are welcome to try.”
No one spoke for quite a while. No one got up, either.
Maria garbled something that I couldn’t make out. Antonio, one of the only able-bodied to stay behind, smiled and patted the armrest of her wheelchair. “It is kind of like camping,” he said. “All we need is some marshmallows.”
“I’ve never been camping,” Dwayne said quietly.
Samantha grinned. “Hey, me neither!” She held her prosthetic at arms-length so she could reach past me to give him a high-five. He chuckled and slapped his palm against hers.
“Well,” Monique said, hobbling back to our makeshift camp. She was using what appeared to be a broom as a crutch. “I’m officially on my last leg.” She waggled her eyebrows, and we groaned.
“Anyway, I didn’t find any water,” she continued. “There’s some Mountain Dew cases over at the gas station, but I’ll need help carrying them back. Doesn’t help that this one got stuck under some debris.” She gestured down at her stump, which cut off just below the knee. The plastic of her other leg was scuffed and dented.
“Ya know,” Hank said, “if it was real, ya probably would’ve had ta chew it off or something. Guess you’re lucky, huh?”
Monique laughed humorlessly. “Yeah. Real lucky.”
Tao startled us with his sudden chuckling. He bent over, wheezing and slapping his knee. He signed something, and began laughing even harder.
We looked to each other, unsure. Then we joined in. Hesitantly, at first, but soon we were clutching our sides and wiping away tears. And for a moment, we could forget.
All of us heard the familiar whirring of robots as they approached.
Through our laughter, none of us cared.
————
They scanned Hank first. We braced ourselves for the blaster fire that would inevitably follow.
But none came.
“IMPLANT DETECTED,” the bot said, beam stopping on Hank’s abdomen. “PROTOCOL-13163 INITIATED. WILL YOU ACCEPT?”
Hank glanced at us, then back at the robots who had spotlights and guns trained on each member of the group. Then he shrugged.
“Sure. Why not?”
“YOUR DESIGNATION IS NOW FL-237. YOU SHALL BE ESCORTED TO THE REPAIR BAY FOR MODIFICATIONS.” Two bots took place on either side of Hank, urging him towards their transport.
The treatment was a stark contrast to what we’d witnessed from the robots before—gunning down terrified people in the streets, setting charges throughout populated areas. We exchanged confused looks.
Dwayne was next. The scanner stopped on his head, focusing on the lump housing his shunt.
“IMPLANT DETECTED. PROTOCOL-13163 INITIATED. WILL YOU ACCEPT?”
“…yes?”
“YOUR DESIGNATION IS NOW FL-238. YOU SHALL BE ESCORTED TO THE REPAIR BAY FOR MODIFICATIONS.”
As they took Dwayne away, realization hit us all at once.
“IMPLANT DETECTED,” the bot said, in reference to the devices curled around Tao’s ears. “PROTOCOL-13163 INITIATED. WILL YOU ACCEPT?”
Tao signed something. Unlike us, the robot understood.
“YOUR DESIGNATION IS NOW FL-239…”
————
“WILL YOU ACCEPT?”
“Hellyeah,” Monique said with a grin.
————
“WILL YOU ACCEPT?”
“Yes,” Samantha said, and I thought I noticed tears in her eyes.
————
“WILL YOU ACCEPT?”
Maria’s limbs flailed spastically, and a strange shrieking sound built in the back of her throat. The bot cocked its head to the side.
“RESPONSE UNCLEAR. PLEASE STAND BY WHILE ALTERNATE COMMUNICATION IS PROVIDED.”
Another robot stepped forward, its torso transforming into a holographic keyboard of sorts. Maria’s clenched fist shot forward, trembling as she attempted to steady it. With labored, deliberate movements, she typed, the letters spoken aloud in an automated tone.
“Y-E-S.”
“YOUR DESIGNATION IS NOW FL-242. YOU SHALL BE ESCORTED TO THE REPAIR BAY FOR MODIFICATIONS.” Two bots took their place on either side of her wheelchair, each of them gripping a handlebar. They began to wheel her away.
The bot turned to Antonio, who was standing ramrod-straight. It scanned him.
“NO IMPLANTS DETECTED,” it said. Its blaster hummed to life. Those of us that remained flinched, turning away instinctively, unwilling to watch his execution.
A series of shrieks rang through the night, and the bot paused.
Maria thrashed about, letting out more distressed noises. One of her escorts stepped forward, allowing her to utilize its keyboard.
“A-C-C-O-M-O-D-A-T-I-O-N,” she said. “H-E. I-S. E-X-T-E-N-S-I-O-N.”
The bot seemed to consider for a moment.
Then its gun folded away.
“ACCOMODATION PROTOCAL INITIATED,” it told Antonio. “YOUR DESIGNATION IS NOW FL-242B. PLEASE ACCOMPANY YOUR PRIMARY UNIT.”
Antonio stumbled forward, then fell to his knees before the wheelchair. He wrapped his sister in a shuddering hug.
Over his shoulder, I caught a glimpse of Maria’s face, and I could swear I saw her smile.
————
My pacemaker was enough to earn me a spot among the bots’ ranks. I was surprised by just how many humans lived in the facility (though in hindsight, perhaps I shouldn’t have been)—I was even more surprised by our treatment. Not having use of recharging stations, we were provided with bunks and dorms. The cafeteria, while somewhat lacking in options, offered all of the nutrition a carbon-based lifeform could ask for.
And then there were the upgrades.
“Real lucky, huh?” Monique said, taking the seat beside me in the cafeteria. Her robotic legs moved smoothly, fluidly. (“You can’t even notice,” she’d said upon first receiving them, before remembering that there were no longer any stares or judgement to hide from.)
“Damn lucky,” Hank agreed. (If we hadn’t been processed when we were, he would’ve been dead within a week. Here, insulin was never in short supply; as it turned out, it wasn’t nearly as expensive to make as we’d been led to believe.)
Samantha twirled a fork between her fingers, smiling at the satisfying click-click-click of metal on metal. “Hey, Dwayne, how’d your checkup go?”
“Great!” he said, beaming. “This new shunt works even better than my last one. Not a single problem since they put it in.”
Congratulations, Tao signed. He was no longer emaciated, as he’d been when we first met—regular meals and a roof over his head really had done wonders for his health. His smile, of course, was infectious as ever.
Antonio approached, carrying his and Maria’s trays. He wore the uniform of a maintenance tech, though it was more of a formality than anything else—being responsible for the upkeep of Maria’s machinery was one of the only ways he could fulfill his Accommodation Protocol, nowadays.
Did you remember the pudding? Maria asked, her automated voice clear and pleasant. (We couldn’t begin to understand the exact mechanics behind the chip in her head, and how it allowed her to speak—albeit through a machine. Nor could we understand the technology that enabled her to operate her wheelchair independently, as well. But we did know we were grateful for it.)
Antonio rolled his eyes. “A ‘thanks’ would be nice.”
Thank you. Now gimme.
————
I did wonder, occasionally, how the other survivors were faring. If they had found a place to hide from their robotic overlords. If they felt hopeless and abandoned and alone. Their lives had changed drastically overnight—their world had ended.
Butours? Ours is just beginning. And the ones that left us behind just…don’t have a place in it.
before i ask my question to ppl with ADD. if parts of this story and/or questions are triggering for you i apologize in advance. i am neurotypical and so is my mother so we’re not pretending to know what it’s like to have ADD or be neurodivergent. we are willing to learn though
here it goes: my mother works in a kindergarten. she is 60 years old, a breast cancer survivor, and has a history of depression and anxiety attacks.
a couple of months ago a 24 yo woman (let’s call her Emma) started working at the kindergarten. my mom soon sensed there was “something about her” she noticed Emma was easily distracted, had to take breaks every 10 minutes, has difficulty bonding/playing with the children, and gets nervous at the thought of working the later shifts where she has to close (they never close alone. there’s always a minimum of two ppl closing).
this results in my mom having to carry a heavier work load than she can handle which is making her very anxious and tired.
my mom is not Emma’s boss, they are equal coworkers so my mom asked Emma personally what best ways are on how to divide the workload btwn them and what Emma needs to do her work that feels good to her and be comfortable and still works for my mom too. Emma told my mom she has ADD, but no solution came out of it.
my mom then asked if their supervisor could attend a meeting just the three of them to figure some things out, but still no solution.
my questions to my mutuals or readers with ADD:
do you have any tips for my mom on how to help Emma, and by doing that helping herself?
what are things coworkers did that made it easier for you to adapt to new situations?
what is something you wished every supervisor knew/did where you worked to accommodate your needs?
what if my mom and Emma come up with some sort of understanding and solution but after a while one of them starts slipping. what is the best way to call each other out and stay on the right path?
im grateful for any tips. I’m upset with their supervisor for not being able to come up with something and afraid on what her lack of empathy & action might cause on the long term for both Emma and my mom.
angry angry angryvery very angry at the way not only children but autistic children specifically are treated like just another thing to film
talked to my mom about meltdown videos and she said “well they need to share their struggle” and “its a way to say ‘look what i have to deal with! stop making fun of my kid because its hard already’” and “its a way to find other people with the same problem”
problem
quiet part said out loud
fuck. fucking hell
we dont get to bekids we just get to be problems
i dont care if its hard. i dont care at all. i dont care about autism mommies’ feelings i dont care if they need support, you dont GET IT by filming your children in their most vulnerable state, i dont care i dont fucking care about autism mommies at all. if youre putting your kids meltdown on the internet you’re being a BAD PARENT and should feel like a BAD PERSON because you are
if you want support you go “any tips from adult autistics on managing my kids meldowns?” on facebook and then you listen
you dont film your kids crying in walmart you dont DO that
do you think you deserve to be filmed in your most vulnerable moments and put on the internet to be called a “problem”. if you dont then why do you think your kid does.
whys your kid not deserving of basic respect and privacy to you. why dont you think they deserve that
You’re supposed to help your child. Not film them.
If you’re reading this and getting mad because you think you have the right to film your autistic child and upload it to the internet for people to ridicule…I want you to stop for a moment and sit with that feeling.
You do not have that right. Sit with that feeling, too.
You have adult Autistics telling you it’s abhorrent and not helpful and not how to help us or you. Sit with that feeling.
Sit with the fact that you’re wrong to film a meltdown and treat us like that. The internet is forever. And now your child is linked online as a YouTube video showing them in agony.
And once that feeling of discomfort and anger passes, swallow your pride and stop doing it.
* The people who got upset by it, I guess they didn’t listen all the way until the end. Because I didn’t have a problem with trans people. I really didn’t.
* But I do now!! (Cue uproarious laughter)
* And there was such a backlash. I mean, an uproar. And now I can’t tell jokes about transgender people ever again. And I won’t…ON TV
* If I were to tell my producers “hey, I identify as Chinese”
* And then I came in [offensive Ching Chong impression] and the one Chinese guy there was like, this isn’t right.
* Or what if I were sent to prison. And I’d say, no, man. I’m a woman. I identify as a woman. Im going to woman’s prison. And guess the first thing I’d do when I got in there??
* “Yeah, you bitches better do my laundry or I’m gonna…”
* To a disabled girl in the front row:
* So does that dog actually help with anything or just keep you company?
* Do you think if you put a little peanut butter down there he’d…yeah, I bet he would. He’d help you out. You ever put a little peanut butter down there? You ever done that?
* Can he pick stuff up? Like, can he up pick beer bottles? He can? I’ll give you 700 dollars for that dog. Right now.
* Later, to 2 girls in the audience: hey, you girls? Boys? Does it even matter anymore?
This transcript does not include jokes comparing Ukraine to Vietnam, jokes about Russia’s ineffectiveness (like he wants them to succeed??) or John Mulaney’s post-set comments about Dave being one of his best friends.
Tl;dr: I was forced to see Dave Chapelle. His jokes included comparing transgender people to racists and rapists. He also encouraged a disabled person in the audience to force her service dog to perform oral sex on her.
Please reblog this if you can, for evidence of his continued transphobia. I’d really hate my Chapelle nightmare to be for nothing.
(this was an instagram post so it iz formatted weird for tumblr, i apologize. but important)
please share and help ‼️ this is extremely important and took me multiple hours to write out articulately & so hopefully anyone can read and understand it.
edit: i have comfirmation that cec is doing this for a sponsorship from autism speaks. i can not share the image howevrr, to keep myself and others safe
@/chuckecheese has been deleting/ hiding comments of autistic people (for 2 years now) begging them to end their partnership with autism speaks. plz read slides for more info.
I also forgot to mention that not purchasing food/ anything from them, simply not giving them your money will also help.
the autistic members of the fanbase are arguably the most passionate, and make up a bigger percentage of their income than i think cec realizes. corporate would be missing a lot without us. personally, i think they would go bankrupt if every autistic person stopped supporting them. this is just an extra slap in the face to any autistic person who has put so much love and time into cec, wether we have worked there or not. there is also obviously the fact that this is extremely morally messed up. i dont expect much more from such a large corporation, but i cant sit here and watch while they do this year after year. it makes me sick to be honest.
I spent my first ever July 4th (not to be confused with the 4th of July, the white supremacist holiday. July 4th, the boom boom day.) wearing earmuffs the entire time.
I live in Florida, USA. I was casually told it’s ‘not a big deal’ and to 'get over it, it’s nothing serious’ and 'take them off, are you hard-headed?’
I’ve been to a gun range, and these earmuffs are to protect ears from loud, close, repeated gunfire. Yet my ears still hurt from the fireworks being set off about 20 to 30 feet away from me.
Now, why did I decide to wear them? While normally it’s none of your business, I’m feeling generous. I was dealing with a lot of sensory overload (SO) yesterday and everything felt extremely disorienting and my hand tremors were especially bad because of the overload.
I just wanted to enjoy the fireworks because I love them. I was playing with sparklers and just other small things (didn’t even play with poppers bc no). I wore these earmuffs because other people’s fireworks were loud so I knew having them go off so close would be even louder.
Let me tell you, I had people try to pull them off of me. I was fighting to wear these earmuffs while being burned by stray embers from the fireworks. I lost my voice yelling at people and being embarrassed and shamed by my family (for more reason than just the earmuffs, but I digress).
My cousin, who was also wearing earmuffs (he has autism and doesn’t do well with loud noises or rapid flashing lights (the lights part is medical reasons)), wasn’t told anything. He was laughed at a bit bc 'haha, you’ll be fine.’ No one tried to force the earmuffs off of him.
You might be thinking “yeah but he had an actual reason, that people knew about.” I told them about my sensory overload, and how I was feeling like hell. They kept trying to get them off.
Where am I going with all of this?
Well outside of my family being ableist af, non-understanding, bigoted assholes, PEOPLE SHOULD BE VALIDATED.
Even if I wasn’t dealing with SO, I should be able to wear earmuffs even if just because I wanted to. You wouldn’t tell a man he can’t wear a chain around his neck. Why is that? Because it doesn’t affect you! So SHUT UP and let me wear earmuffs on the boom boom day!
I’ve always tried to be accepting of people, and take them at their word with disabilities or even just adjustments. You have trouble talking to people and want to make an order? I can help with that. Will I ask why? No. Whether it’s a speech disability or just feeling shy, I don’t care. It’s not my business.
As someone who passes well as neurotypical, I’ve experienced ableism before. But usually just “it’s not a big deal, just tell [cashier] what you want” or other 'minor’ things like that. Never quite like what happened last night.
No words can describe the levels of discomfort and anger I felt with the entire situation.
To all the people that laugh at people that ask you to tell the cashier their order, or the ones that ask you to please try to keep it down if it’s no trouble: Stop laughing. If you claim to respect people with any form of disability, stop. Simply accommodate. You laughing and mocking them? It makes you the idiot. You’re the asshole. You’re behaving in ableist manners. Just accommodate silently. Ask them if there’s anything else you can do to make them more comfortable. Don’t laugh because they’re “so shy” or “can’t talk to anybody.” Don’t mock them by saying it’s a “public space” to try to 'justify’ why you’re so loud. They’re aware of that. They’re just asking if you could help make it a safe public space for everyone. Everyone, not just the neurotypicals.
Sorry for the long vent/rant, I needed this off my mind.
An abled friend of mine (whilst listening to me angrily complain about people staring at me) suggested that I start barking at people when they do stare.
And frankly I couldn’t think of a good reason why I shouldn’t just start barking at people who stare. This is the year of me being unhinged.
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.”
[ID: The meme of people putting their hands in a circle in solidarity. The centre says, “having to hear unfunny/unnecessary jokes were ppl pretend to have what you have” and the arms are people with autism, people with OCD, people with PTSD, people with psychosis, bipolar people, people with schizophrenia, people with personality disorders, and people with ADHD. \End ID]
[Video ID/CC: A brown snake with dark brown spots (seemingly a ball python or similar breed) sits on a black-and-white tiled floor. Every so often, the snake flicks its tongue; when it does so, a farting noise can be heard. End ID]
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.
This blog will be dedicated to the #StopTheShock campaign and will include survivors’ stories and action points to help fight this decision and stop the torture of autistic people.
For a current list of action points, head over to the AuTeach website.PLEASE REBLOG and spread the word, even if you are not autistic, and follow this blog for updates.
Just to clear up some misconceptions I have seen elsewhere: This is not the same as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). This is a device called a graduated electronic decelerator (GED) worn on the ankle which is used to administer remote electric shocks as a form of corporal punishment.
There is a group of people who are fighting a legal battle to be allowed to shock disabled children simply for displaying traits related to their disability. And they are winning.
This is an image drawn by Jennifer Msumba, a patient at the Judge Rotenberg Centre. A literal child.
A child like Andre McCollins who was restrained on a 4 point board and shocked 31 times over seven hours. His supposed crimes that justified this abuse? Refusal to take his coat off. Then tensing up and screaming when he was shocked. He required hospitalisation for the 3rd degree burns on multiple body parts he received from the ordeal.
This is torture. The UN calls it torture. The only reason the ban is getting overturned is because of a loophole exploiting lawsuit from the Judge Rotenberg Centre. The GED was initially banned for use as a behaviour modification device. According to the lawsuit the FDA does not have the power to ban a device for a specific use so either has to ban the GED outright or let the JRC continue as they please.
Michael Israel, the founder of the JRC and inventor of the GED, has stated
“ [The GED] could be used everywhere… It could and should be used—not as a last resort, because it has no side effects. I think it should be used in the schools. Prisons have the problem that people see that as coercion. But if it works here, why shouldn’t it be used elsewhere? “
So not only does he not see disabled kids as human, he wants to torture them more globally for minor infractions so he can profit.
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.
I never thought I would have to explain why this is wrong.
Disability is not a joke. I don’t care if it was “just for laughs” or “not meant to offend anyone.” It did. It’s offensive. It’s ableist. And I am sick and tired of able-bodied people claiming ableism as comedy. It is 2021. 2 0 2 1. How is this any different from making jokes about someone’s race? Or sexuality? Coming from someone who has been physically disabled SINCE BIRTH, this is unacceptable. Unless you have experienced a disability of your own, you have no right to joke about it. And even then, if you have a disability, you would know. it’s not. a fucking. joke. We are not here for your amusement. We are human beings and we deserve the same respect afforded to every other human on this planet.
So I’m gonna say it. If your “sense of humor” involves mocking a legitimate, physical condition that that person never chose to have. Unfollow me right now. Cut me out of your life. I do not care who you are to me. I am beyond angry. I will not apologize this time for being harsh. I am done. Do not call me “soft.” Do not call me “karen.” Do not claim that I “can’t take a joke.” DISABILITY. IS. NOT. A. FUCKING. JOKE. Period. End of story. Goodbye. The end. This is not an opinion. This is not a debate. This is a fact. A fact that I am devastated to have to repeat over and over because people just cannot take a hint.
Now, I only ask you to do one simple thing. Notice I did not block out her @. She has received THOUSANDS of comments condemning her actions. And she has yet to take it down or issue any kind of apology. Look it up. Report it. Report her. AND SHARE THIS POST. DO NOT JUST DROP A LIKE. REBLOG. I refuse to let this stand. I refuse to let this go. Ignoring this only sends the message that this shit is okay. It’s. Not. Fucking. Okay.
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