Throughout the entire month of June, we saw rainbows everywhere we went: on logos, in merchandising, and even in stadiums (sorry not sorry, UEFA). You would've had to live somewhere on a deserted island not to know it was LGBTQ+ Pride Month. But I get the feeling that you didn't know July is Disability Pride Month... right? Today, I want to dig into why this happens, and what the disabled community might be doing wrong when it comes to raising awareness.
Statistically speaking we are probably the most numerous minority group. As many as 1 in 10 people are considered to be disabled worldwide, although, since not every disability is apparent or visible to the naked eye, we often appear to be way less. But if that is the case, and there's so many of us, why are we not getting the media attention and representation that smaller minorities get?
Before I go on, let me clarify one thing: I'm NOT saying anything against the LGBTQ+ community by any means. Many loved ones of mine fall into that spectrum and I very much admire their discipline and endless fight for things as important as marriage equality, something that many disabled people are still fighting for today. If anything, and in all honesty, I feel extremely jealous of everything they have accomplished over just a few decades.
Now on to the analysis. Being a disabled person myself, I have spent a lot of time asking myself why no one seems to notice us when it comes to identity politics or target audiences. My guess, without overthinking it too much, is that, n comparison to other marginalized groups, the disabled community seems far less "scandalous" or defiant of social values and norms. Less flamboyant, less colorful, less loud, less "outrageously" proud to be who we are. We wouldn't even have a flag of our own to display if we marched, other that the International Symbol of Access you see at every disabled parking spot (the stylized white silhouette of a person in a wheelchair against a blue background). I did see one particular flag circulating around social media these past few days in relation to Disability Pride Month, but nobody knows about its meaning, so it doesn't really count for the purposes we want it to.
Sadly, I dare to say that most companies who abstain from mentioning Disability Pride Month are being much more consistent than they were last month. I remember how back in June many of the brands that had added rainbow colors to their logos were called out for doing so while still allowing (and even commiting) discriminatory practices against their queer employees. In this case, at least they don't claim to be inclusive when they probably aren't. Are they hiring, and if so, acommodating workers with disabilities? I honestly doubt it. But still, I really wish they would pay as much attention to this as they do to other important causes.
My questions are the following:
If clothing stores can sell clothes that are gender neutral, why can't they sell clothes that are adaptative?
If love is love, why can disabled people not get married without losing their benefits?
If women's health is important, why is it so difficult for a disabled woman to be able to get a simple mammogram because you have to be standing while you have it?
If bathrooms are for everyone, why can't I get my wheelchair into one of the stalls?
If fertility clinics are advertising special discounts for same-sex couples, why can't they advertise special discounts for disabled people who need medical help to become parents?
I could go on and on for ages, but the article would be too long. I simply hope that, in the near future, people with disabilities will be considered when it comes to celebrating people's different identities and bodies, and that we will no longer be a marginalized group... within marginalized groups.
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