Why #EndAbleism is trending?

Lot of thinking over last few weeks about Ableism as it’s come more into focus during this pandemic. This has been written fast as if honest, I wasn’t sure we’d even make a ripple on twitter, I hoped, believed but still…..sorry for the typos, I’ll update as I slow down.

This is just a quick shower  of whats been in my head during many sleepless nights mulling todays campaignas we trend at number 3 in UK twitterland with  #WeShallNotBeRemoved #EndAbleism  (see #WeShallNotBeRemoved #EndAbleismall over social media today).

Disablism and ableism for me are intertwined and associated but from different angles of the same prejudice pot.

Its the idea that a certain type of body is able and mine isn’t. Really?

Your able bodied (often goes along with fit & strong) and I’m not, really?

The idea that disability is about my lack of ability or inability, nothing to do with prejudice or discrimination that prevents me from my potential to do exactly what you do, but just in a different way, my way isn’t valid or proper because I don’t fit in to your way, Really?

As a result of Ableism or ableist attitudes, value judgements are made ..if you lack ability you either need fixing or your worthless.  Being different, with impairment, deaf, with a leaening difficulty, whatever our difference/diversity…we are the problem and cost….really?

During this pandemic the UK government made those Ableist value judgements on our worth as disabled people & its hit really hard (I’ve lost 13 friends in 12 weeks).  It was decided how we were to be treated (or not) in this pandemic. It was all fairly quite and unsaid but simply Disabled People (particularly those living Independent Lives) were not on the agenda.  We had to shout & our voices are not loud.

So ableism sees us as week, inferior, worthless, to be isolated and protected.  We are not Vulnerable.  We are only made vulnerable by policies and procedures chosen to oppress and keep us as unequal to other worths, the economy, business, fiscal power.

Thats why #WeShallNotBeRemoved #EndAbleism is so important today. I’m so proud that in under 3 weeks we have come together as a small movement, connected, used our creativity & raised our voice, knowing that still many of us Disabled People are not being heard or listened to.  We are still not at the table of change.

I’ve fought most of my life to end disability so why Ableism? I’m not an academic, but I’ve spent a lot of time learning from others, who I know will articulate far more rigoursly than I.

An Ableist prejudice is rushing some back to the old normal.  Well the old normal didn’t work for us and we don’t really want a new normal. We really want change, human rights to be respected, equality, social justice & real inclusion based on belonging, understanding, partivipation & value of all our worth (our difference/diversity/intersectionality is the real value.

So #EndAbleism sausages!