Thread by @DisInHigherEd

For my last post, I wanted to thank everyone in @DisabledInHigherEd for this opportunity to speak on their behalf and to advocate for the disabled community. In short, there are many hard issues that we still face to this day. (1/10)

One summer during my undergraduate years, I attended a Disability Leadership conference in Washington DC. I had been isolated from the disability community and found wonderful people that were welcoming and caring. I marched with them for disability rights. (2/10)

It was a wonderful experience but it does fill me with a bit of sadness that the struggles back then seem to be almost the same as now. I read accounts about some professors treating ADA accommodations as a suggestion and not something that is required in this day and age. (3/10)

"Report the professor for ADA violations", people would say. Well, let's just say that this country has a history of punishing whistleblowers for doing just that. How can we reassure disabled students that they will not face retaliation if they report the ADA violations? (4/10)

I mean, we hear about cases in which a person lodging a Title IX complaint was ignored and the incident swept under the rug, allowing the perpetrator to continue their transgressions without consequence. Aren't the victims supposed to be protected here? (5/10)

We can't shame people for failing to report violations, when doing that places them in greater danger. Placing this burden on them guarantees that abuses and injustices will continue to be visited upon future generations. This is why they feel alone. (6/10)

However, the resistance continues. The internet has made this community STRONGER. Disabled people are feeling more connected to each other than ever before. Strength comes in numbers, and with strength, our demands for a just and equitable workplace will be heard. (7/10)

We are not asking for too much. We are simply asking for decency, for a level playing field, to not have to beg for accommodations that may or may not come depending on the mood of those in power. Treat us as you would have yourself treated. (8/10)

We also stand in solidarity with all of the other underrepresented groups out there. Their struggles are also our struggles. Their dreams are also our dreams. We are all human beings, we are all earthlings. (9/10)

In closing, a quote by Carl Sagan:

"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. We're made of star stuff. We are a way for the cosmos to know itself. For small creatures such as we, the vastness is bearable only through love."

Have a wonderful night. (10/10)