A thread because I’m annoyed at the world. ~ABLEISM~ aka discrimination or prejudice against people with disabilities. This includes physical, mental, sensory, developmental, intellectual and undiagnosed disabilities.

For starters, people fall to ableism without even realizing. Ableism is bigger than just having a ramp and not saying the R word. It’s most importantly treating people of ALL spectrum of disabilities as people.

Example #1. Disability does not mean dumb or incompetent. So what, someone is deaf? That doesn’t mean they are incompetent or less educated. Maybe they learn in a different way. AND THATS OKAY. Be mindful of the fact that 340K Canadians are hard of hearing. Normalize interpreters

Example #2. Disability does not mean child. An 18 year old with a disability is STILL an 18 yr old. So what if a person watches a more show popular for a younger audience or has a more youthful autonomy? Treat all individuals as a serious and respected members of society. Period.

Example #3. Disability does not mean infertile. Yes, there are disabilities that impact a persons ability to reproduce, but that does not mean they aren’t sexual beings

Example #4. Assuming people with disabilities need help. Allow independence, allow individual experiences. You are not required to help every single person. Don’t be overbearing.

Ex #5. I learned this term from Soph Butler: inspirational porn.” Yes, its these stories& images of resilience, bravery &strength that pull on our heartstrings & have the potential to motivate many people. Stories have a beautiful place in this world & deserve to be told.

HOWEVER Although messaging and stories may be well intentioned, they have the ability to be objectifying and insensitive. This is challenging because as a non-disabled listener it is hard to put yourself if the disabled persons perspective.

Various examples:
A) It is okay to not understand the circumstances because you have not been in the situation.

B) Listen to someone’s story because you want to get to know someone new, NOT because you feel the need to listen out of pity.

C) if you are having a disabled person as a speaker or keynote, ensure they are there for the right reasons. Not sympathy votes or money.

You can also read this informative article from Forbes on Inspiration Porn https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.forbes.com/sites/andrewpulrang/2019/11/29/how-to-avoid-inspiration-porn/amp/

I am not writing this thread to try and say I’m perfect. I have a younger brother who is now almost 18 years old with a physical and cognitive disability. He is my biggest motivator, my biggest fan and my best friend.

His disabilities have challenged me to learn when it is appropriate to sympathize, how to not be over-bearing. how to be patient & have age-appropriate conversations about relevant topics with someone who learns different & the importance of normalizing accommodations in society.

If you’ve read this far thank you for listening and here’s a pic of my best friend.

Let’s please be proactive in eliminating the discrimination & prejudice of ableism