Guys, I just learned that *A LOT* of people are ableist. 😲
Institutionalized ableism? Check. Welfare spending, scientific research, the medical system, public access, hiring & employment, consumer design, the media. We don't even do the minimum rational, in everyone's self-interest stuff yet.
But then #Afflicted happened and I LOOKED INTO THE SOULS OF MEN.
Of course people have attitudes, attitudes set priorities and motivate behavior, institutions are agglomerations of people with attitudes, priorities, motivations and behaviors.
And so I feel like I've been a little
And yes, I'm surprised at how many tweets have been by people who are disabled, too, but I guess more awesome? e.g., have a "legit" disability, not a fake-ass disability. Who aren't whiners because I guess being bedridden is lame?
(Lame used ironically). I don't get it. I really don't.
But back to the institutions that run on the behaviors driven by the motivations born of the attitudes held by people. What shapes people's attitudes? Direct experience and relationships. And in the absence of experience and relationships? MEDIA.
So I really get it now. Why #RepresentationMatters. I mean, I knew this—it's the entire reason I made @unrestfilm—but I don't think I fully *got* before today why it's at the heart of the fight, and why disabled people need to be the ones telling our own stories.
And another thing I learned: THE STIGMAS ARE INTERLINKED. You can't destigmatize mental illness without destigmatizing chronic illness without destigmatizing developmental disabilities with revolutionizing everything we think about the brain, the body, and what gives life value.
And at the heart of it all is a fear that transcends any specific diagnosis or community: are you faking? eww, weird! could that be me? am I normal? am I fragile? am I mortal? We are mirrors. And it's a hard thing to be a walking/wheeling/laying mirror to fears the run that deep.
Silver lining: it's the stuff of great art and story. So let's get to it!
PS: I'm always a little suspicious of people who RT their own tweets, I guess I believe Twitter is supposed to be a present tense medium. But last night Omar was like, "I can't believe you tweeted that at 12 am Pacific!" So, guilty!
