#disabled autonomy

On small businesses like Etsy that do pride flag merch- a lot will have the autistic or ADHD pride flag. But not the disability pride flag. And it’s like. Your telling me, that you would rather make two pride flags that don’t have nearly as much significance, doesn’t cover nearly as many people, have more complicated symbols to make on enamel pins and stuff and you would rather do that? You’d rather make the two flags of the two disabilites that right now in disability advocacy are the most sanitized, acceptable disabilites to have? And definitely not the autisic and ADHD folk that can’t talk or work or take care of their hygiene etc. I think it is so fucking abelist. Like it would literally be easier and get you more sales to just have the disability pride flag. Like I can see the lateral abelism oozing out of this.

Jules Edwards

Cole Sorenson

“And Why Would We Do This?”

This is something I've been thinking about a lot. Initially it was in reference to the conversation about straws but honestly it goes so much farther than that. Why is it seemingly so hard to believe what a disabled person says?

If the conversation is about mobility and a person says that doing something is too hard for them or causes them pain, believe them. That's it. That's all you're required to do. Same if a person decides to do something in a way they say is easier for them. Believe them, and then leave it alone. Chances are we've been in these bodies and living with these disabilities long enough to at least grasp our own limitations. A non disabled person coming along and offering their opinion on what we should do and how, without even listening to us, isn't going to be taken well .

This goes for literally any other situation as well, assistive tech, mobility aids, anything. When a disabled person does something, or makes a choice that affects solely themselves, either their lives or in that moment, it is not the place of a non disabled person to question, argue or offer alternatives to that choice. The alternatives you are offering and the opinions you are expressing are neither asked for or required.