V is for visibility. Specifically, the Disability Visibility Project. (https://disabilityvisibilityproject.com/) Remember all the way back to A and Alice Wong? The Disability Visibility Project aims to remove the shame and stigma that many folks imbue onto people with disabilities. Our existence is not a tragedy. We are not to be pitied or given well wishes to “get better.” We are strong, resilient, and some of the most adaptable people on the planet. I view my disability as a gift in many ways and am proud of all of the things I’ve been able to accomplish: most of which have nothing to do with being disabled.
I hope that when you see people with disabilities in your community that you will smile with more understanding than you ever have before. I’ve been reflecting this month on just how far we have to go for equity and while I know that every person with disabilities I know is fierce, we still need able-bodied folks to recognize the barriers that have been thrown up in front of us. One way you can help people with disabilities is by voting.
V is for vote. Use your power as a citizen to vote for people who recognize people with disability barriers. Research into policies, candidates, and measures to see if there’s anything hidden within that points to an ableist experience. But along with voting, we have to talk about the ableism present at voting and polling stations.
While local and national voting is different from state to state, the process itself can be very prohibitive: getting to a polling place that may or may not be truly accessible, waiting in line, filling out a ballot, and more are often inaccessible situations for PWD rendering them voteless. Mail-in ballots in Colorado have allowed me to vote in every election that I could but there are still inaccessible parts of the process: caucusing, many if not all candidate speeches, and the inaccessibility of many state government websites.