It’s homecoming season again, which means you’re probably going to see at least one of those “feel-good stories” about disabled people being voted homecoming king or queen or being asked to the dance by a (usually popular) nondisabled kid. Just a reminder that these stories are not newsworthy, and are not inspirational. If you or someone you know wants to go to the dance with your disabled friend, that’s awesome! Do it and have a great time. Do it because you genuinely want to go with that person. Don’t do it because you want people to think you’re a good person. Don’t do it out of pity. AND FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DON’T TURN IT INTO A STORY ABOUT HOW YOU’RE A GREAT PERSON FOR SPENDING TIME WITH SOMEBODY WHO HAS A DISABILITY. Stories like those are super dehumanizing, and they ignore the fact that disabled people are, in fact, people, with a myriad of qualities that make us worthy of real satisfying relationships. Disabled people are not here to inspire you, or to be your sob story. We are people, living our lives, in our bodies, the best way we know how, just like you. Read more: http://www.claimingcrip.com/2015/09/what-youre-really-saying-when-you-call.html http://www.claimingcrip.com/2015/11/loving-me-does-not-make-you-saint.html http://www.claimingcrip.com/2013/11/being-my-friend-does-not-make-you-hero.html [Image description: On an orange background, white text, offset by oversized teal quotes reads: “Disabled people don’t exist to inspire non-disabled people or remind them life could always be worse. We are not props for feel-good stories or self satisfying acts of charity. We are people living our lives just like anybody else.” The quote is attributed to writer and activist, Karin Hitselberger, and in the upper right-hand corner of the image is a watermark that reads: www.claimingcrip.com] #DisabledIsNotABadThing #DisabledAndUnashamed #NoQualifiersRequired