Thread by @DisabledAcadem

Conference organizers planning inaccessible events - really hope you know what message you send by doing this. You send the message that ableism in the academy is permissible. And you send the message that disabled ppl are not welcome and will not be in the future. 1/9

You send the message that it's easier to gaslight us than to invest labor in creating equity. You lash out at us and make us feel like we're asking for TOO MUCH when we asked for what should've already been built into everyday practices. 2/9

You make us question you as colleagues in the profession. If you can't create an accessible event, then how do you approach other professional tasks? Are you equally ableist when it comes to our grant/fellowship apps? Our publications? Our job apps? Our tenure apps? 3/9

Planning an accessible event is a symbol that you are an ally and that you understand HOW MUCH labor your disabled colleagues have to perform just to be in academic space at all. 4/9

I cannot tell you how many times I have been told this year that I have to be the change I want to see. That I should step up and volunteer. That I should have been there on the ground doing the work if I wanted anyone to think about access. 5/9

Like how much more work can I DO? I taught a 2/3 on a postdoc with all new preps, published multiple pieces, and gave 10 talks on accessibility, ableism, and disability history this term. While running a collective. 6/9

I already have to fight to make my classroom accessible. I fight to make my campus accessible. I fight to make my coursework is accessible. I fight to help other disabled students who are earlier on in their academic journeys. 7/9

And now on top of the daily labor I do as a postdoc, without any job security, I am also magically supposed to step into spaces where I haven't been invited and take on all the accessibility labor for academic societies? Really? 8/9

I don't want to hear that a DEI committee exists for any academic society unless that DEI committee is doing accessibility work. DEI without a disability lens is not DEI. Don't expect me to do your job too. 9/9 #AcademicChatter #DisabilityTwitter #AcademicTwitter