Jessica PingLast week, I had the opportunity to do something I’ve always wanted to do. On Thursday, April 1st, 2021, I spoke on a Disability Pride Panel for the Disability and Human Development Undergraduate Student Association at the University of Illinois at Chicago. It was such an incredible experience and I am very grateful to have been asked to be a part of the event.
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Because this Disability Pride Panel was hosted by a student organization at UIC, attendance was not open to the public. Though I was disappointed more people didn’t have access to the wonderful dialogue taking place, the small numbers allowed more time for questions and discussion.
Since this was my first time speaking on a panel, specifically a disability pride panel, I thought it would be fruitful to share my thoughts and feelings on the event. By doing so, I hope other institutions and organizations can learn about the importance of events like this one and hopefully host their own versions in the future.
Without further ado, here are the top 4 things I learned from speaking on UIC’s Disability Pride Panel.
1. “Crip Spaces” are POWERFUL
I grew up in a small town in central Illinois. My high school graduating class consisted of approximately 150 students who mostly all looked and thought the same. I didn’t experience true diversity until I got to college, and still, marginalized communities were horribly under-represented.
To this day, I have not encountered large numbers of disabled people. Whenever I enter a room, I usually assume I am going to be the only wheelchair-user present, because that’s the way it’s been for most of my life.
As embarrassing as this is to admit, up until 2 years ago, I fully bought into the widely held assumption that most disabled people were elderly. This line of thinking wasn’t just supported by my small-town environment, but also by the media and the entertainment industry.
It wasn’t until I started this blog that I realized how very wrong I had been. There are literally billions of disabled people in the world. BILLIONS.
And it took starting a website and an Instagram page for me to finally meet other people like me.
It’s been almost two years since I first started this quest to educate the world on the disabled lived condition, and I finally was in a virtual conversation with more than 5 disabled people at once.
For the first time ever in my life, I did not just feel an overwhelming sense of belonging, but I also felt heard and seen. I knew that the other people on this panel and listening to this panel had experienced similar discrimination to myself due to disability. I also knew that, because of this, defending the way someone’s actions had made me feel would not be necessary.
Though I am not a personal fan of the word crip, the community often refers to spaces made up of large numbers of disabled people as “crip spaces.”
Crip spaces are powerful because they allow for everyone to come as they are.
It was liberating to have conversations about disability pride and identity with others who have also grappled with these very issues throughout their lives. Truly, it was the first time in my life where I didn’t feel the need to alter my stories to placate a non-disabled person.
That alone, is powerful.
April Book Of the Month:
The Cursebreaker Series with an emphasis on the most recent installment:
A Vow So Bold and Deadly (The Cursebreaker Series)
But, the real power of a “Crip space” is inclusion.
Disabled people know the hardships of the body better than anyone. They also know that society doesn’t often provide spaces for people to be anything less than their best.
You’re not feeling yourself today? Welcome.
You’re feeling tired? Welcome.
You injured your knee last week and have been in pain for days? Welcome.
The entire point behind a “Crip space” is adaptation. Making sure the meeting or event is fully accessible to everyone is of top priority.
That was precisely what makes a “Crip space” unique and that is why I cannot wait to be a part of many more (hopefully) in the future.
2. People DO HAVE Questions, They Just Need a Safe Space Where They Can Ask Them
Most of the questions I get about disability in my day to day life are invasive and offensive. It’s hard to tell if this bigotry is due to a lack of education/representation or a sheer disrespect for the disabled lived condition. Either way, it’s become an exhausting reality for myself and billions of others around the world.
But, the Q&A portion of this Disability Pride Panel, though short, was different from anything I have ever experienced.
Read Books 1 and 2 in the Cursebreaker Series!
The students in attendance were attentive to what each of the panelists had to say and were asking relevant questions to the topic at hand. It was so refreshing to be engaged in a dialogue that didn’t end with someone asking for details about my condition. Instead I was able to openly share my experience and hopefully showcase some of the issues facing the disability community.
Now, obviously, most of the students in attendance, if not all of them, are self-proclaimed disability allies. To be a part of a student organization like this one, I feel like it’s almost a necessity. But, that doesn’t mean that, if given the opportunity to listen, others couldn’t follow suit.
Generally speaking, humans are very curious beings. It’s in our nature to investigate things we don’t fully understand. But, so many people are so scared of coming across as rude or offensive that they just refrain from asking or even engaging with someone different from them at all.
This helps no one.
People need to feel comfortable asking questions, but they also need to be given the opportunity to learn which questions have the most positive impact.
Events like this Disability Pride Panel create a space for both of these things to coexist.
In this environment, it’s safe to assume that those speaking on the panel are comfortable educating the audience and that those in attendance want to learn from the panelists.
Thus creating the perfect, mutually beneficial relationship.
3. I Love Speaking and Sharing My Story
Storytelling is one of my greatest passions in this world. It’s an incredibly powerful way to educate others and share information.
When I am offered a space to tell my story, I feel validated. Not only does the invitation tell me that someone views my experience as a disabled young woman as important, it tells me that someone views my LIFE as important.
WORK WITH ME!
Want me to speak at your next event? Check out my page on speaking engagements today or send me an email: therollingexplorer@gmail.com
Everyone’s story matters, but some stories get told all the time, while other stories never do.
Public speaking is something that I have always found joy in. Perhaps it is the performer in me, but getting in front of others and sharing my personal experiences with bullying, self-love, disability, or something else feels natural.
If you or someone you know is hosting an event and wants to include the disabled perspective, I currently taking on new speaking projects! See above on how you can have me come speak at your event!
4. EVERY Academic Institution Should Hold a Disability Pride Panel
School is all about preparing students for their future. That does not just mean preparing students to live in a society run by capitalism. It means teaching students, of all age levels, about other cultures and lived experiences.
I fully believe that ALL academic institutions, yes, even elementary schools, should host a disability pride panel or event of some sort every single year. And it shouldn’t be the responsibility of the disability related student organization to put it all together. It should be an institution wide event.
January Book Of the Month
You Are a Badass at Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealth
Not only would mass action like this help educate millions of young people about disability, it would help to validate the importance of the disabled lived condition.
So often the disability community is ignored. Even in discussions and panels surrounding diversity and inclusion, I hardly EVER see disabled people represented.
Our marginalization and rights matter.
The discrimination we experience daily matters.
Our LIVES matter.
Academic institutions have a responsibility to their students to provide them with a well-rounded education. Disability, and, more specifically, disability pride should 100% be included under that umbrella.
The history of disability pride is fascinating in it’s own right, but teaching both disabled and non-disabled students alike the importance of self-love and community is a lesson that EVERYONE could benefit from.
October Book of the Month Review
Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century
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