I’m just curious about this. As someone with a chronic illness, I pretty much never hear anyone talk about things related to the sorts of difficulties and discrimination I and others might face within society. I’m not aware of companies or governments doing anything special to bring awareness on the same scale of say, pride month for instance. In fact certain aspects of accessibility were only normalized during the pandemic when healthy people needed them and now they’re being gradually rescinded now that they don’t. It’s annoying for those who’ve come to prefer those accommodations. It’s cruel for those who rely on them.
And just to be clear, I’m not suggesting this is an either or sort of thing. I’m just wondering why it’s not a that and this sort of thing. It’s possible I’m not considering the whole picture here, and I don’t mean for this to be controversial.
Really not trying to be an asshole here… But why would anyone be proud of being disabled?
Perhaps reframe it as pride in still living, surviving, sometimes even flourishing in the face of a society that will not accommodate you. It’s also a really direct counter to the shame that is so prevalent amongst disabled people. I have an invisible disability and it’s taken many years for me to even accept that I am disabled, nevermind be happy with it, you know?
Yeah that would be a good idea.
I wouldn’t call it pride, but I’m aware that a not insignificant portion of people would have just committed suicide rather than experiencing what I’ve gone through. Especially people who pride themselves on abilities that depend on being healthy. To experience something like years of torture and then to find a way to keep laughing is not insignificant.
Why shouldn’t a person be proud? They constantly use lateral thinking and creativity to maneuver through the world, and their disability is part of their unique identity. Their disabilities cause some of their problems but society causes more. Living with a disability doesn’t make a person less worthy of respect, self-respect, or pride in who they are. Having to face attitudes like yours every day is why we need to have celebrations of disability pride.