Daily Archives: 4 March, 2010

This is Why We’re Always on about Language

invisibility, justice, language, othering, , , , , , , ,

I’m not linking to the original source because the specifics don’t matter. This isn’t about the individual people or the individual documents involved. This is just an example of how the use of ableist language harms disabled people. Sometimes our posts on ableist language are on the abstract side, so here’s something real concrete. The ableist language is “insane” used to mean “this is bad.” The disabled people are me and everyone else who has been abused and has mental illness.

Some context is necessary, though. The first quote is from the comments thread of a post on intimate partner abuse. More specifically it’s about the way people outside the abusive relationship contribute to the abuse. Even staying “neutral” or “not getting involved” contributes to the abuse: when power is unequally shared among people in a relationship, staying neutral is siding with the person with the most power. But much of the time people don’t stop with that much. They actively side with the abuser. (The reasons for this is a subject for another post. Graduate degree dissertations. Books. I’m headed in a different direction right now.)

One of the commenters expressed disgust with the people who’d taken the side of the abuser and ended the comment with:

How insane is that?

Here’s my reply.

It is appalling, frustrating, disappointing. It makes me want to cry every goddamn time I see it because I know my abusers are fine upstanding successful people and I’m fucked up and broken and poor.

It is not insane.

I am insane. I have had delusions and paranoia and hallucinations. There are parts of me I do not talk about ever because I am deeply ashamed of them: what’s wrong with me that this is in me? How can I be this fucked up? I spend every day working on not killing myself because the parts of me that hate me and want me dead never shut up.[1. Unfortunately, none of this is even exaggerated.]

I would like, please, to not have to be the metaphor for abusers and their abettors as well as their victim. I carry enough shame already.

This is why we talk about ableist language. It’s not because we hate fun. It’s not because we have no sense of humor. It’s not because we want to take people’s words away.

It’s because we shouldn’t have to be the metaphors for our own oppressions.

Recommended Reading for February 4th

recommended reading

Warning: Offsite links are not safe spaces. Articles and comments in the links may contain ableist, sexist, and other -ist language and ideas of varying intensity. Opinions expressed in the articles may not reflect the opinions held by the compiler of the post. I attempt to provide extra warnings for material like extreme violence/rape; however, your triggers/issues may vary, so please read with care.

Knox Leader: Talks over parking for disabled in Boronia

…are in talks to put a much-needed “disabled” car parking space in front of the school after a mother was forced to park in a no-go zone and fined for it. A Wantirna mum is livid at Knox Council for having no “disabled” spot at her daughter’s school and then fining her $117 for parking in a school safety zone. But she said she had no choice because there was no “disabled” parking outside the school. Her daughter, 5, who has a disability, has just started at the school. […]

Department of Education and Early Childhood Development spokesman Nick Higgins said when a child with a disability was enrolled at a mainstream school, the needs of the child were assessed and catered for through the department’s integration program. Where possible the department also advocated for indented parallel car parking spaces outside school grounds. But Mr Higgins put the onus for “disabled” parking on the council.

The Lariat Online (Baylor University): Faculty Senate focuses on Disabilities, BU bookstore

Faculty members have recently been looking into concerns about how far to go to accommodate disabled students. Dae Vasek, director of the Office of Access and Learning Accommodation for Baylor, addressed some of the concerns of the faculty at the meeting.

Dr. Dennis Myers, chair of Faculty Senate, said an example concern was if a student with a disability is required to follow the same attendance policy as other students.

Vasek said the answer was yes. Myers said faculty members were also concerned about students who might disrupt class, such as students who have panic attacks. “It is not permissible, whatever the accommodation for the student, for the student’s behavior to be disruptive to the class,” Myers said.

Students who have disabilities that may be disruptive are asked to sit in the back of class.

Edmonton Journal: NDP MP’s bill seeks to outlaw genetic discrimination

Increased use of genetic testing is leaving Canadians more vulnerable to discrimination on the basis of their genetic characteristics, a Winnipeg MP says.

“We’re starting to hear about people who are actually losing job opportunities, employment opportunities because of (their) genetic characteristics. So it’s a real issue,” Judy Wasylycia-Leis told a news conference Thursday, flanked by members of the newly created Canadian Coalition for Genetic Fairness.

Assiya at For a Fairer Today: Time

Sometimes when people ask me what activities I do, I jokingly include my health as an activity. I either say, “I get sick a lot” or “and I have chronic health problems” or something like that. Often it’s kind of awkward and I make a mental note to never say that again (until the next time of course). But here’s the thing: being ill, or disabled, or whatever label you want to afix, takes a LOT of time.

Nilesh Singit at Disability News Wolrdwide: The Right to Learn

Universal primary education by 2015: this is the second of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), agreed by every country in the world in 2000. Yet this mission will only succeed if it reaches all children, including those with disabilities. Today more than 80% of all children in developing countries are enrolled in primary school, but up to 90% of children with disabilities in developing countries do not attend school.

Panel at The Guardian: A matter of life, death and assisted dying

After two high-profile court cases reignited the arguments around assisted deaths last week, Observer policy editor Anushka Asthana brought together five of the most outspoken figures in this controversial debate and put to them the most challenging questions raised by these cases.

See also:

Madeleine Teahan at The Guardian: A welcome message for the weak

BBC Daily View: Assisted suicide law clarification

Clair Lewis at The Independent: Disabled people need assistance to live, not die

Dominic Lawson at The Independent: Who are we to decide that a dependent life is a pointless life?

[NB: These latter links are purely for your information. I request that you take discussions of the pros and cons of euthanasia/assisted suicide elsewhere. Thanks. ~L]