Unitypunk is a disabled subculture encompassing other movements like cripplepunk, neuropunk, madpunk, and pluralpunk, as well as other movements like the anti-psych, pro-delusion, and pro-self-diagnosis movements. It's focus is on building a single, disability-justice-focused coalition; a united face against all kinds of ableism
To this end, the movement rejects gatekeeping of terms and talking about experiences based on having the "right" diagnoses or the right "kinds" of diagnoses. It is focused on assuming good faith, on people's similar experiences being shared in turn as a way of saying "I understand, and stand by you", on pulling up chairs rather than building up walls.
This is partly in response to small but vocal minorities within the community who insist that their experiences are entirely unique to their diagnosis or type of disability, and that disabled folks of other kinds are not welcome in their conversations about disability justice. This flies in the face of intersectional anti-ableism, and as I and other physically disabled neurodivergent people have noted, often leaves us unable to talk about a full half of our experiences.
The foundation of unitypunk is that the brain and body are inextricably interconnected - all physical organs that are interdependent on one another - and that while for some the symptoms of physical and psychological disabilities may be entirely separate or different, for others they are impossible to differentiate or functionally the same. The gut is the second brain. The body keeps the score (of trauma). Where in your body do you hold your emotions? The mind-body connection. All commonly used phrases when talking about disability, all illustrating this connection.
A psychological condition may be physically disabling. Autism can cause significant mobility issues. Anxiety can cause cardiac issues. Something like agoraphobia may cause someone to become as effectively housebound as someone with mobility issues and an inaccessible door. A physical condition may also be psychologically disabling. Absorption issues in the gut, particularly in regards to vitamins D and B12, can wreak havoc on the brain. Thyroid and adrenal/endocrine issues are one of the first things tested when seeking a mental health diagnosis. And of course, chronic illness can cause depression, anxiety, and trauma. Whether direct or indirect, the effects are the same; a complexity to the manifestation of symptoms that cannot be neatly squared away into little boxes.
This movement recognizes that only by recognizing and celebrating the breadth and depth of that complexity will we be able to achieve true disabled community and solidarity. It prioritizes a united front over personal differences. You don't have to like the disabled person next to you, but we all have to put aside any petty squabbles and fight for each other, or go down together. This includes being intersectional and inclusive of all other identities, whether you understand them or not. This means not disparaging or writing off identities, and judging people for their actions, not their labels. It also means, while it's fine to make spaces focused on a specific aspect or kind of disability, that it's important to recognize that real life experiences are messy and won't always respect neat lines being drawn. This is especially true of the experiences of physically disabled neurodivergent people, who are multiply marginalized and deserve to have our experiences heard and respected.
The most important things you can do here are to talk, and to *listen*. This account, this *movement*, is just a starting line. The end goal is total disabled liberation, and the only way we will get there is marching together.
