Jessica PingWe need your help! Become a Disability Community Ally by following the steps listed in this article.
*Disclosure: There are affiliate links in the following article, meaning that, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using the links, I will receive a small commission.
2020 Reflection and Why We Need YOU To Become A Disability Community Ally
I know I’ve said this a million times on social media and that at least 3 other blog posts begin with this same sentiment, but that’s because it is so glaringly obvious.
2020 was the worst. It’s been mentally and physically draining for pretty much everyone around the world. But, no group or community has felt the full blow like the disability community.
The disability community has once again been forced into hiding thanks to the irresponsible behavior of our neighbors. Our worth has been called into question by both strangers on the street and medical professionals. It truly felt as if we were shoved backward through time. As the disability community shouted and exclaimed their joy over the 30th anniversary of the ADA, we were simultaneously being silenced.
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Let’s take a walk down memory lane, shall we?
Covid-19 and Healthcare
In the UK, close to 2/3 of Covid-19 deaths were comprised of disabled individuals. 43% of the deaths in the United States come from congregate communities. Almost 100% of the individuals counted in the previous statistic were disabled. Disability is so forgotten/not cared about that there is no hard and fast data surrounding the disability demographic on any official website for the United States. Additionally, disabled individuals have been refused proper medical care due to their “low quality of life” by medical professionals. Many other necessary healthcare services are backlogged currently due to the pandemic. So, many people have had to go without essential care during this already stressful time. I’ve shared my own battle with this in the following blog posts:
- Seeking a Diagnosis During a Deadly Viral Pandemic – Still No Answers – https://therollingexplorer.com/seeking-a-diagnosis-during-a-deadly-viral-pandemic-still-no-answers/
- Health Insurance Is A Nightmare – Why The Prosthetics Series Is Delayed – https://therollingexplorer.com/health-insurance-is-a-nightmare-why-the-prosthetics-series-is-delayed/
Employment
In November 2020, the unemployment rate for people with disabilities was 12.3%. To put that in better perspective, the unemployment rate for non-disabled individuals was 6.2%, which was still higher than the unemployment rate for people with disabilities BEFORE the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Travel
Additionally, this year saw the travel industry specifically target people with disabilities. American Airlines put forward a new weight limit that effectively limits people with disabilities travel opportunities. While this may not have made a huge splash this year with limited travel occurring, it is sure to be a massive problem for people traveling in the future. Not to mention, as American Airlines is such a well-known entity, it sets a nasty precedent that other, smaller airlines may feel that they can replicate.
Representation
I’ve talked about the entertainment/creative industries A LOT over the last year and its faulty representation of people with disabilities. Though there were some areas that improved their diversity and inclusion, it wasn’t nearly widespread enough. Also, there were a handful of projects that were released this year that not only were lacking representation but were poor forms of representation. The most notable to me as a woman with limb differences myself was the Witches movie. There is already so much stigma surrounding limb differences, this movie only increased the unease, fear, and disgust that many individuals carry. Furthermore, while it wasn’t released in 2020, the new Sia film and the rhetoric surrounding it has been one of the most ableist situations I have seen from the entertainment industry for a long time. Not only has Sia hired a neurotypical girl (Maddie Ziegler) to play a neurodiverse individual, but her justification for doing so is downright Ableist in every sense of the word.
Yup, you’re right, 2020 was HORRIBLE.
But, what can I do to help?
I’m so glad you asked!
In today’s blog post I talk about becoming a better disability community ally in 2021 and some basic easy steps you can take to do better this year.
Keep reading to learn how you can start the year off right by becoming the best Disability Community Ally you can be!
Laughing at My Nightmare
Read my review: https://therollingexplorer.com/before-you-read-laughing-at-my-nightmare-by-shane-burcaw-read-this/
Steps to Becoming A Better Disability Community Ally in 2021
1. Care About the Covid-19 Pandemic
As discussed above, the disabled community has been unevenly affected by the coronavirus pandemic. If you are still going out unnecessarily, refusing to wear a mask, and mixing with a wide number of people, you are directly causing more harm to the disability community. Even if that isn’t your direct intention, it is the outcome.
In 2021, we NEED to start taking this pandemic seriously as a collective entity. The vaccine is not a cure. Preventative measures will still be required for much of the next year. So, for the love of everything that is Holy and Sacred and Good in this world….
WEAR YOUR MASK.
STAY HOME, IF YOU CAN.
STOP WHINING ABOUT TGI FRIDAYS BEING CLOSED.
Are you looking for a high-quality mask that is both stylish and effective? Check out this awesome one from Mighty Well, a disabled owned small business!
If you use the code JESSICAP10, you will receive 10% off your total order! Buy it now! https://mighty-well.com/collections/all
2. Let Us Tell OUR Stories OUR Way
Please, stop trying to speak for the disability community. Stop making tv shows, movies, books, etc about us without including us. In fact, stop making any product without including us. We are consumers too. We deserve a say.
Do not consult organizations that support disabled individuals but are run by non-disabled individuals. Do not consult just one disabled person. We make up 15% of the world’s population (that’s over a billion people, for reference). It’s time we are included in our own storytelling.
Of course, this goes much further than just consulting people with disabilities on projects. Representation needs to improve both behind the camera as well as in front of it. There is so much room for improvement.
As things begin to go back to normal this year, it’s important that we don’t let representation go back to the way it was before. 2020 may have been the worst, but it was a turning point. Only steps forward from here, please.
3. Fight WITH Us For Accessibility
Unfortunately, we can’t do this alone. We can’t make change without YOUR help. At this present moment, the disability community is still thought of as being “less than.” What does this mean? It means that unless we have some strong non-disabled allies, we will continue to shout into a void of darkness.
What specifically can you do?
Educate yourself. Here are some places to start:
Subscribe to my blog or follow me on social media!
Read Disability Visibility
Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century
Check out my review here: https://therollingexplorer.com/disability-visibility-book-review-disability-intersectionality-is-everything/
When you spot inaccessibility, say something.
The more people that care enough to actually SPEAK UP, the more likely it is that a change will be made.
Email/Call your government officials and let them know that you care about Disability Rights
The ADA was an amazing step in the right direction, but it’s 30 years old. I think it’s time for an update.
One reason politicians leave people with disabilities out of their plans is because not enough people care about disability issues. Use this website to reach out to your elected officials and show them you do: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials
4. Hire People With Disabilities
The coronavirus pandemic did one positive thing: it proved that people can effectively work from home if given the chance. This opens up SOOOOOO many doors for the disability community. Transportation is not a guarantee for many people with disabilities. If you have a chronic illness and are having a flare-up of symptoms, traveling into an office may not be advisable. Moving forward, I hope to see more remote job postings, or, at the very least, see more hiring managers take seriously those requesting to perform their regular duties from home.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, because the world is widely inaccessible, particularly the workforce, many people with disabilities rely on entrepreneurship. Support disabled freelancers, bloggers, advocates, influencers, and businesses whenever you can.
I offer services in social media management, content/copywriting, content creation, and consulting. LEARN MORE: https://therollingexplorer.com/work-with-me/
Additionally, you can find some other great disabled-owned small businesses to support at the following blog post: https://therollingexplorer.com/12-deaf-and-disabled-owned-small-businesses-to-support-this-holiday-season/
5. Allow Yourself to Experience Disability
Here’s the thing: we know that if you’re not disabled, you’re not going to get it right all the time. That’s okay.
Over the last three years, my husband, my family, and many of my friends have told me over and over again how much they’ve learned from me. Many of these comments were given to me before I even started The Rolling Explorer. You see, by spending time with me and hearing me talk about my daily struggles their eyes have been opened. My college roommates, in particular, have been very vocal about the ways in which being my friend and experiencing inaccessibility firsthand has impacted them.
New YouTube Video!
So, when. I say in 2021 you need to experience disabililty for yourself, I’m not telling you to rent a wheelchair and explore your hometown for the day (though, I am not discouraging that either!). I am telling you that you should 100% let the disabled experience into your inner circle. Does that mean you should go run up to the first person in a wheelchair you see on the street after covid and invite them to dinner? No. It means you should follow people on social media, read blogs like mine, watch movies with proper representation, and most importantly, learn empathize and understand a perspective that is different from your own.
Here are some good places to start!
My Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Channel
@thedisabledhippie on Instagram
@disabilityinsight on Instagram
@crutches_and_spice on Instagram
Crip Camp Documentary on Netflix
6. Avoid Using Ableist Language
In 2020, I began heavily stressing how important it is to avoid ableist language whenever possible here on my blog. There are so many words and phrases that have become so commonly used that we, as a society, have become desensitized to their actual meanings.
If you’re curious to learn more, I have an entire blog post series on Ableist Language. You can check it out here: https://therollingexplorer.com/category/disability-advocacy/ableist-language-series/
Some of the words covered include:
This popular series will continue next week (1/12/2021).
Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to my blog so you don’t miss it!
Let’s Connect!
How are you going to be a better ally to the disability community this year? Let me know by LEAVING A COMMENT BELOW.
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