The Disability Community is the largest minority in both the United States and the World; over 56 million Americans and over 1 billion people throughout the world live with a disability every day. It was recently determined that 73% of US voters either have a disability or love someone who does.
Disability, A Web of Intersectionality
The disability community is the only community that anyone can enter at any time without even knowing that they are going to become a member. Disability does not discriminate; no matter what age you are, class to which you belong, what gender, race, religion, or ethnicity with which you identify, you can be(come) a part of the disability community. Please think about how disability may impact your life, maybe not now, but potentially in the future.
Disability should be important to you. It already impacts so many people every day and could eventually affect you if it does not already. However, disability should be of importance to you, not just because it could potentially impact you directly, but because disability is an overarching web of intersectionality.
Disability can bring people of every walk of life together.
An Answer to Ending "isms"
Throughout history, disability has been used as a justification to be racist and sexist. Feeblemindedness, weaker sex, ring any bells from textbooks? This shows that throughout history, disability has simply been recognized as innately bad. Until disability is understood as a basic part of life and looked at as a factor of bringing people together, isms such as sexism and racism will continue to live on.
Disability
Disability is not bad nor is it inspirational or pitiful; it is a part of life, a characteristic that many people share. The Disability Community should be known. And who's better to learn from than those of us who are already a part of this minority. Educate yourself; realize that disability should not be the justification of discrimination but instead the link in bringing people together.
No comments:
Post a Comment