Hi my lovelies, welcome to Disability Allyship.
This newsletter is about all things disability and allyship, to give you a fresh perspective and advice that you can implement immediately to make your world more inclusive of disabled people.
Thank you so much for reading and subscribing. If you are finding value in this newsletter do please share with your network. Let’s send ripples of disability inclusion all around the globe.
#Thought - Where are the disabled voices at COP26?
(Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash)
[ID: A sign against the backdrop of the sky, is black with an image of the world painted on it in greens and blues. Written on the sign in white is “one world.”]
In issue 2 of Conscious Being Magazine we had an overall focus on Climate change, sustainability and nature, and why it is so important that disabled people are represented in the climate change movement, in sustainable design and in nature/gardening. As part of this issue I was fortunate to interview Maria and Yeni, two Indonesian disabled women who are doing the work, on the ground, to get climate change and the impact on Indonesian disabled people addressed. My interview with them broke my heart, fired me up, and made me realise that as a community of disabled people and allies, we have to put climate change at the top of the agenda for disability justice and rights. Because frankly, if we don’t limit the impact of climate change it is not going to matter how accessible of inclusive our world is for disabled people, and this is why we need to ask the question: where are the disabled peoples voices at COP26 (Conference of the Parties)?
To be fair, there have been side events leading up to COP26 that have looked at climate change, disability, sustainable design and mental health. Which is great. But it also feels dismissive and bit reductive compared to the impact that climate change will have on disabled people globally. For example, in my interview with Maria and Yeni, Yeni talked about how 7 out of 10 meteorological events in Indonesia, today, are caused by climate change. And the negative impact that these meteorological events are having on disabled people, especially indigenous disabled people, is evident already.
Many indigenous Indonesians are farmers, and a number of them have impairments and conditions that require support and access to continue their farming and maintain health and independence. They require accessible routes into the forests to tend and harvest their crops. They require accessible routes into towns and villages where medical care and supplies can be accessed easily. Yeni spoke of the destruction that storms and floods can have on these access routes, with many indigenous disabled farmers unable to earn or earn as much money due to damaged crops or delayed harvesting, as well as many of them unable to get into towns for weeks for the medical care and support that they need. The issue is that these experiences are never spoken about enough, these voices that are so impacted are never represented at places like COP. And if we are going to achieve our goals to minimise the impact of climate change and to protect and support the that are and will be impacted, we have to listen to disabled and indigenous people.
Probably the most important part of my interview with Yeni and Maria was they’re urgent plea for education around climate change to be increased - for both disabled and non-disabled people. Education, knowledge is power, it is through knowing the truth, the science, that we can organise, protest, and put pressure on big business and government to reach net zero by 2050. As a disabled woman I am doing everything in my power to educate myself and speak more openly about climate change and accessible, sustainable design solutions.
Are you watching what is happening at COP26 this year? I have set up alerts on my phone to keep me up-to-date with what is happening. I would urge you to do so as well. Let’s keep this conversation going - in the comments tell me your thoughts about climate change, about sustainable design and disability.
#Action - Always support disabled-led charities and campaigns.
(Photo by Alireza Attari on Unsplash)
[ID: a little boy with Down’s Syndrome is looking off to the side with a bemused look on his face. He has headphones on his head and is wearing a blue jacket with a lime green lining.]
A lot of the time disability is projected through the lens of non-disabled people, whether that be through the media with journalists, authors, and screenwriters, or through family members, friends, colleagues, etc who think that can speak to the experience of disability, which whilst kind (and sometimes necessary), can be extremely problematic for the disabled community.
An example of this non-disabled projection of disability that can irritate the UK disabled community no end is the BBC Children in Need Campaign. This campaign’s aim is to raise money to support children and young people who may be impacted by a number of experiences and issues, including disability. Whilst I find the aim of the campaign admirable, the execution of it continues to promote harmful tropes when it comes to disability, and it is primarily this that many in the disabled community take issue with.
Charity campaigns tend to use the tropes of pity, tragedy and inspiration because they evoke a sense of sympathy and/or awe in the audience, driving them to donate, either through feelings of guilt or benevolence. These campaigns miss the point that a lot of disabled activists and campaigners make about charity campaigns - in an effort to raise funds for their work they perpetuate the medical model of disability and fail to reflect the true lived experience of disability.
Now I’m not saying that we have to do away with all disability and chronic illness charities. They do have a place in this world and benefit a number of people in the disability community. What I am proposing we look at the board members, CEO’s, managers and staff of these charities and campaigns and ensure that the people they purport to represent are actually represented in the charity structure. Essentially, are these charities and campaigns disability-led?
So what can you do if a charity or campaign you are aware of is for disabled people but not led by the people they are aiming to help? Contact them and ask them why they aren’t disability-led (and there can be no excuses in my book). Look at a range of charities and campaigns out there and put your money and support behind the ones that are disabled-led. Also don’t forget about the disability activists and advocates doing the work on their own, always remember to amplify their voices and “buy them a coffee” aka PayPal tip them for the work they do.
#Mood - Even I get accessibility wrong, more often than you think.
(Photo by Aleksandra Sapozhnikova on Unsplash)
[ID: A woman with dark bobbed hair and wearing a grey beret and black long sleeved top, a watch and pearl bracelet is leaning her head on her arm on the table. A coffee cup and book are in from of her on the table. She looks contemplative and sad.]
This is newsletter number 4 and I got the accessibility wrong on the first 3 newsletters… and I am not afraid to admit it to you today. Why am I not afraid? Because how can I expect you dear reader to learn and grown and make mistakes along the way if I don’t tell you about the times that I have got it wrong.
So how did I get the accessibility wrong in the first 3 newsletters? I used an inaccessible font and I got called out on it, and rightly so. I have done the research and work behind best fonts for neurodiverse people, particularly those who are dyslexic, and yet I still had a bit of a brain fart and got it wrong.
*If you want to see how best to respond to inaccessibility and ableism call outs go check out the conversation in the thread from newsletter number 3.
For many non-disabled people I speak to this about they are surprised when I talk about my own examples of being ableist. In the disability community we call it lateral ableism and it literally just means a disabled person being ableist to another disabled person. Lateral ableism happens a lot more often than you think. It has happened to me from other disabled people - for example, I have been challenged by a number of disabled people on the language I use around my identity and been told that I am wrong, that they don’t like the words I use. And as you can see above I have been laterally ableist and failed to take into account neurodiverse accessibility in my newsletter AND I have also, many years ago, failed to take into account accessibility at a concert, when I bought the tickets, for a friend with cerebral palsy.
Why am I telling you all this? Why am I getting some of my dirty ableist laundry out and shaking it all about in this newsletter? I want to you not feel alone on this disability allyship journey, because I am on a disability allyship journey myself. I only know inside out my own accessibility needs, and I can’t know others unless I am willing to open my mind up and learn and grown and make mistakes and be comfortable with being called out when I do stuff it up.
My advice to you is to learn to get comfortable with being called out as well. Most of the time calling out should be a calling in, a calling in to listen and learn. Calling out shouldn’t be shameful, but heart-full, a chance for us all to learn and grow with each other.
#News - Virtual Disability Games.
Anyone else out there a Sims 4 player? Or am I the only one?
(Image is a screen shot from The Sims 4 Spa Day pack launch)
[ID: a screenshot of the Sims game shows a group Black, Brown and White sims, some are Muslim, non-binary, wearing glasses, etc. A high level of diversity is represented.]
I love The Sims. I’m not a huge gamer, but this is my one little indulgence and I love that I get to play God essentially to these little computer generated people. EA Games and The Sims 4 team have gotten diversity fairly spot on in recent years. They have worked hard on skin tones, hair colours and textures, styles and cultural dress. And I applaud them for it. But they haven’t represented disability… yet.
Recently there was a petition put forward by gamers who play the Sims to include disability representation and the Sims 4 team have responded.
"We want you to know that we took note of the petition, and we want to say thank you for everyone who's always reaching out to The Sims and giving us pointers on what to do to make this game better. [We're] super passionate about what we do and we all want The Sims to be the best game out there for many years to come, so mobility items are at the top of our minds.”
This is exciting news for me and the many disabled Sims players out there. To have a sim with a prosthetic leg, a cane, a wheelchair or a guide dog would be amazing and just make the disabled community feel so seen and included.
Representation matters, and big kudos to EA Games and The Sims 4 team for keeping diversity and inclusion at the top of their minds in everything they do.
Please feel free to comment, let’s keep the conversation going. And please feel free to share on your socials, through email, etc. Also, do let me know if there is anything in particular you would like me to discuss or look at, am always happy for suggestions.
Why not follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin (I’m not on Tik Tok yet, frankly that platform scares the pants off me). Also, if you would like to book a speaker or consultant on all things disability, ableism, inclusion, accessibility, etc, pop me a line here - elizabeth@elizabethwright.net
Check out the magazines I edit - Disability Review Magazine, Not Your Monolith, and Conscious Being for more thoughts, advice, and insight into disability lived experience.
Liz x