Hey bud. This is where ya start to learn what ableism is. A is also for Access, Accessible, and Accessibility.
A is for ableism. What’s that, you say? It’s when someone says or does something that is against people with disabilities, or when someone discriminates against people with disabilities. Everyone has been an ableist. It’s not entirely your fault—we live in an ableist society. But it is your responsibility to change and point out ableism when you see it, even if you’re not a person with disabilities!
Imagine your shitty uncle is a big OLE Racist who still uses the N-word. Now, you’re not Black but when Roger the Racist (that’s your uncle’s name in this scenario) spouts off, you feel super uncomfortable because duh. You should: He’s being a racist! What do you do? You tell him he’s a racist and that language is harmful, right? You don’t let him keep talking like that around you.
Now imagine your same shitty uncle (he’s still named Roger too!) is ALSO ableist. He calls people in your family ‘id*ot’, ‘mor*n’, and has been known to park in accessible parking because he’s “just running into the store real quick” even though he doesn’t have accessible plates or tags. Now Roger is racist AND ableist. Should you let him slide?
Of course not.
You confront your racist & ableist uncle and tell him his behavior is gross and that he needs to do better! Now.
A is for Access, Accessible, and Accessibility. All of these things are vital for people with disabilities.
A is also for ADA or the Americans with Disabilities act established in 1990. This is the set of guidelines that allow people with disabilities to navigate public and private spaces without as many barriers. The ADA covers things like accessible parking, how wide doorways must be, and how close to the elevator an accessible room must be in a hotel.
Other disability laws that start with A include:
**Act to Provide for the Settlement
**American Federation of the Physically Handicapped
**American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities
**Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) in 1996.
**ADA Amendment of 2008
**American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)
**ADA Standards for Accessible Design in 2010
**Achieving Better Life Experience Act (ABLE)
In late June 2021, I booked an accessible hotel room. The hotel was in violation of section 208.3 of the ADA which ensures that people with physical disabilities have a room close to an elevator AND handicapped parking. When I reached out to the hotel after my stay to suggest that they move the accessible rooms to closer to the elevator, the hotel manager verbally abused me and told me that my disabilities are not his problem. Except they are, and have been since 1990 with the establishment of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
I wish I could say this is the first time that my accessibility needs have been ignored, but this is pretty common. After I get a refund from the hotel for the verbal abuse and discrimination, I’ll be filing a complaint with ADA.gov to ensure that they comply during their renovation.
A is also for Alice Wong, writer, disability advocate, host of Disability Visibility podcast, and editor of Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century.
Disability Visibility was incredibly eye-opening for me, even as a person with disabilities. The Disability VIsibility podcast is available everywhere you listen to podcasts and covers a wide range of topics relating to people with disabilities. Alice Wong and the Disability Visibility project are my media recommendation for today. Give them a Google, along with taking a look at ADA.gov.