Volume 1, Issue 3 September/October 2021
Page 3
THE INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE PROJECT: ABLEISM What we communicate has power.
Sometimes described as the "silent D in diversity," individuals with disabilities are one of the most varied populations on Earth. According to the CDC , 61 million adults living in the United States identify as having some type of disability. That's 26% of the overall population or 1 in 4 American adults! Disabilities touch every community: every race, gender, sexuality, and socioeconomic situation. And advocating for accessibility is for everyone. There are many things to learn (and unlearn!) about folx with disabilities and curiosity is a good place to start! Ableism is a set of beliefs or practices that devalue and discriminate against people with physical, intellectual, or psychiatric disabilities and often rests on the assumption that folx with disabilities need to be ‘fixed’ in one form or the other. Ableism is intertwined in our culture whether we consciously know it or not and can be found in many different places: our
environment,
our
legislation,
public transportation with no ramps or doors that are too narrow for a wheelchair or scooter broken or non-existent elevators or stair alternatives in buildings
legal to pay workers with disabilities less than minimum wage
no signs or navigational aids for folx with low vision
no legal recourse for negligence of the ADA
limits on income and assets for folx who receive Disability benefits
crippled by indecision
language. and mostly our
insane
crazy
dumb lame she's so OCD psychotic handi-capable brain damaged wheelchair-bound normal falling on deaf ears blind as a bat imbecile
