Dear Activists with
disabilities,
Since disability doesn’t
discriminate, we are the cross-section of everything – every religion,
political affiliation, ethnicity, sexual-identity, sexual orientation etc…we
encompass all of it. Therefore, we feel the impact of more issues than just the
ones that are disability specific.
Although we are passionate
people who feel very strongly about our individual values, it is important we are mindful of our physical limitations. Some with disabilities are very capable of participating in a demonstration or protest and I fully support them.
However, some are not physically up to that challenge due to complex medical conditions. So, instead of throwing your medically
fragile bodies into the front lines of the many protests going on in our
country right now, I urge you to utilize technology instead. There are numerous
ways that technology can be used to support the causes that you hold dear.
-
Launch a video
campaign - Organize like-minded folks to make a video of themselves
expressing their feelings about a specific topic. Then post & share!
Partner with an organization that shares your values to help your videos reach
more people.
-
Blog – A
personal story often packs a greater punch than an actual punch. Spill your
guts (figuratively speaking) and blog about why you feel the way you do. If you
feel passionately enough to be considering putting your medically fragile body
in harms way to make a difference, than I feel you should have the conviction
to open up about why you are steadfast in your beliefs.
-
Organize an
email campaign – To make it easier for folks to participate, write up a few
example letters that can be copy, pasted, and easily modified.
-
Social Media –
Tweet. Retweet. Share. Like. Love. Never underestimate the power of sharing
information!
Accepting limitations is a sign of wisdom, not weakness. Finding alternative solutions is what disabled people do every day. Stay strong. Never give up. Just make sure you’re still around to
celebrate after we cross the finish line.
Nothing About Us Without
Us,
Jane Hash aka The Gimp
Avenger
