If you are able-bodied and working in #DisabilityStudies because you were inspired by a relationship with a disabled person, I have some tough love for you. I am all for allyship, but allies cannot weigh in on all topics. 1/5
Why does it matter?
1. Because we're not there to correct you or intervene or combat stereotypes. Roughly 1.5% of tenured faculty and 6% of grad students are disabled.
2. You don't face the ramifications of poorly framed arguments, language choices, or research outcomes 2/5
3. You can proudly state your relationship to disability (my parent/sibling/partner/child is disabled) bc at the end of the day proximity is harmless, you're still able-bodied. But if we identify we're risking our jobs to disclose. 3/5
4. You do not understand the crushing weight of ableism. You may see a loved one go through it, but witnessing and experiencing firsthand are two different things. 4/5
5. Allyship is built on lifting disabled voices up and prioritizing them first and foremost. We are not just characters in your research. If you're not using your career to help disabled people secure academic jobs and lead Disability Studies, you're not practicing allyship. 5/5

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More from @DisabledAcadem

26 Jun
I hope everyone is acknowledging how poorly universities handled, are handling, and will handle protections for disabled students throughout the pandemic. 1/6
Some things to think about when discussing uni responses:
1. Unis have never been safe spaces for disabled people, accommodations have been denied to students long before, and will be long after - how do we enact change? 2/6
2. Nowhere is safe for disabled people. Telling us to leave academia is not an option. Regardless of the sector - capitalism is built on ableism. We need solutions in every sector. 3/6
Read 6 tweets
13 Jun
Finding disability justice centered counselors is so hard but so important. I had the privilege in undergrad, but when I reached out for mental health support in grad school I was told that student counselors "didn't cover disability." 1/7
Disabled people deserve counselors who understand medical gaslighting, who get the risk of even going to a counselor. Many people with health issues who disclose mental health struggles to their providers will be told their physical realities are all psychosomatic. 2/7
And so it takes a lot of courage for disabled people to reach out for mental health services. And when we do so, we should receive help from a provider who understand ableism. Who gets the complex interplay of our symptoms. 3/7
Read 7 tweets
12 Jun
I'm so stressed about moving bc my new position hasn't finalized health care options with me. And I have so many questions. And to continue my basic treatment, which includes monthly injections, I'll need to find a provider, establish care, get preauth through new insurance 1/4
And set up a regular injection schedule that matches my new job demands. And that is all so much work. Plus building a general new team of Drs in the area, made up of specialists, who take up to 6 mo to see, and local drs who can hopefully see me sooner. 2/4
I am not just disabled. I am disabled and chronically ill. My health fluctuates. And I've been able to stay afloat in higher ed because I am very good at navigating healthcare. But I can't magic up time out of nowhere. 3/4
Read 4 tweets
11 Jun
I'm glad that so many people agree with yesterday's thread about mentorship. But I am also skeptical that able bodied colleagues will fight for inclusion at all levels of higher ed. 1/8
Are you going to change TT review processes? Will you fight adjunctification? Will you invest in faculty accommodations? Will you acknowledge that some faculty would do better with fairly paid part time positions? Will you accept that I am less productive in terms of output? 2/8
Will you recognize mentorship as labor? Will you recognize the risks I take every day to be vocal about discrimination in higher ed? Will you acknowledge that disabled faculty can't just move every year to stay in the game? That we have access needs to meet that guide us? 3/8
Read 8 tweets
6 May
If you're hiring disabled faculty, staff, postdocs, VAPs, or adjuncts you need to remember that cost of living is so much higher for us than it is for able bodied individuals. 1/8
A lack of robust public transport is a huge problem for those of use who can't or choose not to drive. Purchasing a vehicle is a huge financial choice. And it's not possible for some of us. This is a major issue when public transport doesn't connect local housing with unis. 2/8
We also need accessible housing which is prohibitively expensive. And right now it may be impossible for us to even look at housing, especially those of us who are immunocompromised. 3/8
Read 7 tweets
4 May
It's awareness month for multiple medical issues that I have, and I've got to say, it's incredibly hard and demoralizing to participate in these campaigns. Disabled individuals are constantly asked to make their issues palatable to society. 1/7
We're expected to say "oh it's ok if you don't know about x." We're the ones making infographics and recommending readings and recounting tough personal narratives. We're expected to discord our stories of medical neglect and issues with diagnosis and time to care. 2/7
But in the background, as an academic, I know that these awareness months don't change anything in medicine. At my home institution, for example, disability related issues are barely covered in the med school curriculum. 3/7
Read 7 tweets

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