#disabled activism

[mxmorbidmidnight]

So much of what society treats as a joke is just mocking disability. Their idea of lazy is a disabled person trying to survive, whether that be living with their parents as an adult or using pre prepared food. Cringe culture is based entirely around mocking neurodivergent people and their interests. Symptoms and characteristics of disability such as urgency issues, drooling, tremors, tics, strabismus and speech impediments are used as cheap punchlines.

In children’s tv shows disabled characters such as those with speech impediments are treated as a joke, with symptoms of disability being portrayed as synonymous to stupid.

This idea is being taught from a young age in the media and it’s engrained into our language and culture. This goes beyond jokes, it contributes to the alienation of people with disabilities.

Once you start noticing these things you realise how constant and normalised it is.

Reducing an entire person to a punchline is wrong. Using a disability symptom as an insult is wrong. It’s disturbing how normalised it is to not treat people with basic decency and respect.

[dear-indies]

posted by cripthegig on instagram:

(finally) here’s the updated version of accessible ways to protest for palestine ! hopefully this will be more legible :) mentioned links and more accessible ways to support palestine in my linktree in my bio ! if you have any other suggestions about accessible action for palestine, please comment them below i’ve also amended a few outdated elements of the post. go to the original post’s comments for some really valuable extra insights on the topic ! note to say that nothing in this list will be accessible to all, it is merely a list of suggestions for more accessible action. the topic is incredibly nuanced and that can be hard to get across through the limited means of an infographic.

-

slide 1: an infographic with green imagery on a white background. dark green text at the top of the image reads ‘the revolution will be from bed’. in the middle of the image is a dark green outlined image of a double bed. in the bottom of the image is dark green smaller text that reads ‘a guide to protesting for disabled activists’

slide 2: an infographic with green imagery on a white background. dark green text at the top of the image reads ‘accessible ways to protest’. below the text, is smaller text in dark green that reads ‘for many, in-person protests are inaccessible. luckily, there are other ways to get involved. these include:’ the focus of the image is a dark green rectangle with white text inside it. the text reads ‘1. share posts on social media

educate yourself (and others)

donate

contact your political representatives

join organisations

sign petitions

boycott companies’ in the bottom of the image is dark green smaller text that reads ‘a guide to protesting for disabled activists’

slide 3: an infographic with green imagery on a white background. dark green text at the top of the image reads ‘amplify palestinian voices on social media’. the focus of the image is a dark green rectangle with white text inside it. the text reads ‘ - while social media activism is often critiqued as being performative, for many it is the only form of action that is accessible

social media can be an important tool for amplifying marginalised voices who otherwise would be ignored by mainstream media

people in gaza are urging the west to raise awareness of the emergency by amplifying palestinian voices on social media

sharing your solidarity with palestine on social media is also an effective way of combating mainstream media's bias towards israel’

at the bottom of the image is dark green text that reads ‘a guide to protesting for disabled activists’

slide 4: an infographic with green imagery on a white background. dark green text at the top of the image reads ‘educate yourself and others’. the focus of the image is a dark green rectangle with white text inside it. the text reads ‘education is a crucial part of activism that can be done from home

you can learn about palestine from books, articles, podcasts, films and much, much more

sites like decolonisepalestine.com, palestinesolisarity.org and bdsmovement.net are good places to start

social medica can be a good source of on-the-ground information from accounts like @eye.on.palestine

share these resources on social media and in person, have uncomfortable conversations

at the bottom of the image is dark green text that reads ‘a guide to protesting for disabled activists’

slide 5: an infographic with green imagery on a white background. dark green text at the top of the image reads ‘donate’. the focus of the image is a dark green rectangle with white text inside it. the text reads ‘- donating is often the best way to help global emergencies from home

however, many people in gaza have urged the rest of the world to stop donating money to gaza, as israel is blocking them from receiving any relief

instead, donations can be spent on supporting organisations outside of gaza, who are fighting for a ceasefire and an end to the occupation

money can support marches, direct action, legal funds etc.

this is a good option for crips who can afford it and are unable to participate in the action themselves’

at the bottom of the image is dark green text that reads ‘a guide to protesting for disabled activists’

slide 6: an infographic with green imagery on a white background. dark green text at the top of the image reads ‘email politicians, sign petitions, join orgs’. the focus of the image is a dark green rectangle with white text inside it. the text reads ‘- if you are in the UK or US (+ many other countries) your govt is complicit in the genocide of palestine

protest this by emailing your representatives and signing petitions

in the UK, parliament will only recognise petitions from petitions.parliament.uk

accessible forms of protest are not solely individual, many organisations also offer accessible / remote roles

in the UK, orgs to get involved with include: @palestinesolidarityuk, @palaction, @naaom and @londonpalestineaction

in the US, orgs include: palestineyouthmovement, @jewishvoicesforpeace, @adalahjusticeproject @ifnotnoworg’

at the bottom of the image is dark green text that reads ‘a guide to protesting for disabled activists’

slide 7: an infographic with green imagery on a white background. dark green text at the top of the image reads 'boycott, divesment, sanctions’ the focus of the image is a dark green rectangle with white text inside it. the text reads ' - boycotting companies complicit in israeli apartheid is another accessible way to protest

@bdsnationalcommittee is an organisation that has worked long-term on ending international support for israel

their consumer boycott targets are currently: axa, puma, carrefour, siemens, ahava, HP, sabra and sodastream

people separate to BDS are also encouraging the boycott of mcdonald's, disney and starbucks

go to @bdsnational committee for more info' at the bottom of the image is dark green text that reads 'a guide to protesting for disabled activists'

slide 8: an infographic with green imagery on a white background. dark green text at the top of the image reads 'advice for crips attending a march’ the focus of the image is a dark green rectangle with white text inside it. the text reads '- going to a march can pose serious risks to crips and it is important to consider these before attending

where they can, organisers should make efforts to ensure marches are accessible (eg an accessible route, info about accessible loos + covid caution)

plan your route (for london crips a document is made every week with info about the march's accessibility)

bring a buddy who knows your access needs

know your rights; go to greenandblackcross.org for bustcards

mask up, to protect your fellow crip and avoid surveillance’

at the bottom of the image is dark green text that reads ‘a guide to protesting for disabled activists’.

slide 9: an infographic with green imagery on a white background. dark green text at the top of the image reads 'a crip’s guide to packing for a protest’ the focus of the image is a dark green rectangle with white text inside it. the text reads ’ - a radar key to unlock accessible loos

medication (bring han expedie you're out for longer

energy sustaining drinks and snacks

earplugs / defenders for noise sensitivity

pain relief devices

check the weather - bring suncream / umbrellas and dress accordingly

a fully charged phone with a battery pack

a sunflower lanyard / pritned out medical information -a mask (ideally N95)

a bustcard for legal advice in case of arrest’

at the bottom of the image is dark green text that reads ‘a guide to protesting for disabled activists’.

slide 10: an infographic with green imagery on a white background. dark green text at the top of the image reads 'crip solidarity with palestine’ the focus of the image is a dark green rectangle with white text inside it. the text reads ’- disability justice is palestinian justice, crip liberation is palestinian liberation

all of our struggles - against ableism, against colonialism, against fascism - are connected

in 2022, at least 48,360 disabled people lived in the gaza strip, a sector of society among the most affected by Israel's attacks

israel's 17-year siege on gaza has curbed access to vital healthcare for gaza's disabled population

when israel cuts off power in gaza, this has a greater impact on disabled folk who rely on electricity for aids and mobility

disability justice cannot exist under settler colonialism

solidarity from the streets, from the home, from the sickbed, from the phone’

at the bottom of the image is dark green text that reads ‘a guide to protesting for disabled activists’.

[suprsaturatd]

TALK SHIT GET HIT

Cripplepunks of the world, unite! We have nothing to lose but the shins of people who tell us we’re “too young” or “too healthy-looking” to use a cane or other mobility device. Slap this bad boy on your jacket or patch pants or what have you to tell those annoying commenters off.

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[description in alt ID]

[neuroticboyfriend]

hey google how can i connect with people through activism in person without completely draining myself or not being able to participate at all because my disabilities make it extremely difficult to make and maintain commitments. i would like meaningful connection and action and have hope sitting directly in front of me and i dont know where to Go.

[sanguinebutch]

becoming blind in one eye was, ironically, a real eye opener into how inaccessible the world is to blind or otherwise visually impaired people. the fact that people just straight up refuse to make media accessible to us is shocking and there’s a weird lack of people talking about it.

[cyberphuck]

The concert is super great here is our view of the stage from the wheelchair accessible seats

[beazt]

ok I’ve put together a list of disability-focused books for me read while I have the Seattle library ebook card. I’m not sure what order I’m going to read them in, yet. and obviously this list is non exhaustive, it’s just what I could find & deem worth reading from a surface level glance at the blurbs right now, while I have a migraine. i fully intend to explore other topics and revisit other titles im unsure about/prioritizing lower, I have them tagged separately on Libby.

if anyone would like to join me on this journey— be it by reading/listening to the books yourself at your own pace or just following my own posts about what I read— I’m going to come up with a tag for this journey. suggestions for that are welcome, I just want it to be a near-unique tag because tumblr search is awful

(most of the titles I have selected for this list at least make a notable effort to be inclusive and intersectional, if you’re worried about that. however, I have not read any of these yet, I cannot confirm anything about their actual content. I guarantee there will be excerpts worth critique from books on this list. part of exploring these heavy social topics is critical thinking.)

my current list is as follows, in no particular order:

Fat Girls Hiking by Summer Michaud-Skug — I’m interested particularly in modifying hiking (and other outdoor activities) to be more accessible for myself, as I love hiking but find it very difficult nowadays, the book seems to be at least decently disability-informed

The Future Is Disabled by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha — disability justice for a better future that emphasizes the value of disabled folks. overall interested to see the perspectives and rhetoric presented in this book, along with:

Care Work by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha — I don’t think I can do this one justice in a couple lines of tumblr text. read its blurb yourself, it includes: “a toolkit for everyone who wants to build radically resilient, sustainable communities of liberation where no one is left behind.”

My Body Is Not A Prayer Request by Amy Kenny — appeals to my experience living as disabled and intersex in a rural part of the Bible Belt in an evangelical household

Disability Pride by Ben Mattlin — gonna be honest, I threw this one in without reading its blurb. regardless of its quality, I believe I should read it based off title

Crip Kinship by Shayda Kafai — this book is based around an art activism project called Sins Invalid, exploring some of the messaging of it in a disability justice framework

Against Technoableism by Ashley Shew — from what I can gather, this book touches a lot on the social model of disability

Decarcerating Disability by Liat Ben-Moshe — prison abolition and decarceration with a disability focus

QDA by Raymond Luczak — QDA stands for queer disability anthology, also threw this one in based on the title

[chaos-in-one]

I hate how whenever someone is hateful, or hurts people, everyone immediately jumps to calling them mentally ill.

Can a mentally ill person be hateful? Can a mentally ill person hurt someone? Absolutely, mental illness doesn't make you incapable of harm.

Does that mean everyone who does something bad is mentally ill? Absolutely not.

"Oh but no mentally well person would do -insert harmful thing-" Yes. Yes they absolutely fucking would.

Because mental illness isn't just about having something in your brain work differently. There's a reason it's called mental ILLNESS. It has a negative impact of some sort on the person who has it too.

And people can absolutely do something harmful without it being at all related to something hurting them internally. People do that all the fucking time.

For instance with bigots. There are plenty of bigots that aren't bigoted because they're mentally ill. They just fundamentally do not see some other people as equal human beings. And that by itself isn't hurting them. Automatically calling it a mental illness as a blanket statement implies that it does in some way.

At the end of the day throwing the phrase "mentally ill" at any harmful group just isn't as progressive as a lot of people treat it as. It isn't punching up at the bigots. It isn't punching up at the abusers. It's punching down on mentally ill people- an already marginalized group itself.

It's just re-enforcing the idea that mentally ill = bad and that mentally ill people are dangerous, harmful, and unreasonable people. It's reinforcing the idea that the worst of the worst of people represent who we all are. It reinforces the stigma around mentally ill people's existence and makes it more likely for more of us to be hurt, for more of us to not be able to get the help we need.

[sunnycanwrite]

I've recently started being more open on social media about my chronic illness. My Instagrams used to be wiped clean of any mobilty aids or mentioned of them. I was supposed to be this healthy young adult in the eyes of others so I made it look like that.

My body moves without my permission, I have a tic disorder. Fibromyalgia has been a part of my life since I was 9. I can't remember not being in pain. My right leg has a limp, had for years. My cane means I can get around, get the mail every morning because I like doing so. My forearm crutches let me get around easier, get up the stairs in public. My wheelchair has become an extension of myself. I can actually go out to eat, to the mall, and so much more now

So I'm owning it now, I don't care what my ablest member of the family say. The ones who think I'm being dramatic. So now there's photos of me in my wheelchair on Instagram and I've never been happier.

[mothmx]

“I Support Disabled people”

-girly who has called a special interest cringe, made jokes about a stutter, finds tics “annoying”, gets impatient with slow talkers, refuses to use image descriptions or subtitles, makes fun of slow walkers, refuses to follow pandemic guidelines, gets angry at blunt points in conversation, doesn’t respect social boundaries, thinks ND people being in sexual relationships is “creepy” or “pedophilia”, talks over disabled people frequently

[mxmorbidmidnight]

Disabled people are people. Therefore you can’t start touching me or grabbing my things without permission. If I say don’t touch me you do not ignore my wishes because I’m disabled. Just like any other person I have a right to autonomy over my body and my decisions. Unless you have been given permission or it’s an emergency, you cannot simply start touching me. I’m not an object I am a person. Being disabled doesn’t mean you, a random stranger get to make decisions for me. If it seems someone is in need of help ask them. If they say no you don’t then forcefully help them because you think you know better than them what they need.

[gean-grey-blog]

hello i just wanted to say i super appreciated your addition to the post about getting involved in your community and how it doesn’t always necessarily have to happen outside one’s home. i have been struggling with this a lot lately. i am neurodivergent and am severely socially anxious but i want to be more active in my community. do you have any tips for where i could get started with being involved from home? i really appreciate your time and wish you a lovely day 🌞

Sorry this took so long to reply to, life shit is an adventure lol

So the best advice I have, is that a lot of activism and outreach is NOT in fact going to protests. Protests are like the one night stand of activism. You show up for a night of passion, maybe you make some connections, maybe you work some stuff out of your system. But long term, lasting change, rarely happens directly because of just protests. So just right there, set aside any guilt about that being what “showing up” means. 

Virtual courtwatching, mailer stuffing, phonebanking, cleaning up data to add to phone bank lists, printing fliers, working on websites, filling out grant applications, cooking for a mutual aid kitchen, tutoring, helping people with their resumes, fundraising, captioning or writing descriptions, translating materials…especially since covid, so much is done remotely on even a national level. The work that can’t be done from home is less than that that can. 

Find groups you like, who are working on what matters to you. Meet the people over text or vidchat. Be honest about what you can and want to do and usually you’ll just get a list of the next sixteen courtwatch dates they need filled. Don’t be afraid to trust your instincts and not run with people if you don’t like their vibe. Not everyone knows what they are doing, not everyone has their own shit taken care of, and sometimes there are outside agitators or cops who try to provoke people into doing stupid shit. But by and large people are there for the right reasons and the people who are out there taking care of each other are some of the kindest people you will ever meet, if also some of the weirdest. 

[wizardpigeon]

Hmmmm, might make some

"flashing lights can be dangerous for people with seizure/migrain disorders, please decorate responsibly"

Flyer/poster sort of things to hand out this year,

Cause you can do whatever you want inside your own house, but if you're running a shop or putting lights up outside, you could seriously fuck up someone's health

[disabledanarchy]

these kinds of "seats" at bus stops are anti homeless, anti disabled and honestly anti everyone because they're so damn uncomfortable. I can't even sit on them, I have to lean on them because they're often put at such a steep angle.

Image description: red seats at a bus stop shelter. they are extremely narrow and at a slight angle making them difficult to sit on. end image description.

"but if we don't do that, homeless people will sleep there!"

if you want homeless people to sleep somewhere else SO BADLY, donate to your local homeless shelter with warmth and comfortable beds, so homeless people won't HAVE to sleep in public spaces.

"but lots of people choose to be homeless"

no they don't. that's what's shown on TV a lot for shock factor and entertainment value. this is EXTREMELY rare. stop trying to make yourself feel better about the fact that you're doing nothing, AND DO SOMETHING.

[bottomoftheriverbed]

I keep writing long rambling posts about why I'm such a firm believer in the social model despite being chronically ill and the way it's traditionally been framed therefore excluding me somewhat but this explains it better and I'm once again recommending more broadly the chronic illness inclusion project. If you want a more detailed discussion on this then their 'reclaiming chronic illness' paper is very interesting (opens a pdf) as is this article by activist Liz Crow from 1992. I was also lucky enough to interview Liz in 2021 as part of a project on disability activism in Bristol, some of which discusses the issue of chronic illness and the social model (also not to blow my own horn but the website itself is an interesting resource if you want to know more about the disabled people's movement in Bristol and the UK more widely)

[melodioustear]

On Radical Disclosure

This week, as term ended, I was at a two day workshop/conference on research ethics with regards to illness narratives. It was one of the most varied collections of people I've seen - from my fanfiction work to someone studying human remains - and yet we all had so much in common and so much to discuss.

Something that got talked about quite a bit was the issue of disclosure and positionality. For many of us in the medical humanities, our positionality in relation to the illness(es) we're studying is considered important. It's integral to my thesis. But other researchers expressed that this was hard for them, because they actively did not want to disclose their health status. It's especially awkward with some illnesses - consider those dealing with things like infertility, with STDs, with something like urinary or digestive issues.

I completely agree that no one should be forced to disclose their health status as part of their research, even though my positionality is a fundamental part of my own. There's parts of my health I don't talk about! Even still, I had an instinctual feeling of defensiveness when it was brought up, and I spent quite a lot of time thinking about why that is.

My conclusion was this: for me, disclosure is a radical act. I have two sides to my disability, the chronic pain/fatigue side and the mental/neurodivergent side. Both sides are things that I have been taught (primarily by ableism) to repress. I'm a woman, so my pain is dismissed. I've had instances in the past where people have told me to stop sharing my emotional distress, because I was being too depressing and no one wanted to hear that much of it. There is a near constant voice in my head saying that I should not take up space, be seen, express my pain.

By centering my experience, by talking about that experience, by allowing it to exist out in the world, I am - essentially - giving a giant fuck you to that voice. To the ableist world that thinks that I should vanish into nothing, and the parts of my Madness that parrot that. In a way, it's the very thing I did in response to the chronic and traumatic bullying I experienced as a child: being more loudly, more proudly the very thing that they said I was.

People should absolutely choose whether to disclose things or not, be that in research or in general. I believe this wholeheartedly. But we need, also, to recognise the rebellion inherent in disclosure for many disabled and Mad people. To acknowledge how brave it is to shout your existence into a world that tries to eradicate it. To hold space for both disclosure and non-disclosure, and everywhere inbetween.

Grateful for the workshop & participants giving me the thinking space to process this, the inspiration for the realisation, and also Alice Wong for Year of the Tiger, which I was reading alongside this and helped me process it a lot too.