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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accessibility were only normalized during the pandemic when healthy people needed them and now they're being gradually rescinded now that they don't. It's annoying for those who've come to prefer those accommodations.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.

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[-] jeffw@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago

I’ve seen way too many people casually use the R word on Lemmy. Ig people just don’t care about ableism

[-] PupBiru@kbin.social 4 points 1 year ago

omfg right?! i always call it out then they attack me and say im a tankie etc because im making a straw man without engaging with their point

no! i agree with your point which why i didn’t engage and disagree with the fact that you think its okay to use a disability as an insult ffs

[-] Drivebyhaiku@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

There is actually a quite hardcore history of advocacy that cropped up in the civil rights era where folk with disabilities performed some really heroic protest. The tale of Ed Roberts and the "Rolling Quads" is pretty legendary stuff.

The wins established a mostly unchallenged veiw at a legal level that differently abled people deserve to have their participation in society facilliatied. It was a major win...

But with success comes stagnation. Part of why the LGBTQIA+ is so visible is the movement is still marching and there is a secondary purpose to the movement. The visibility of actually running up a flag in those communities is a way to make something potentially invisible visible. To give a sense of solidarity. A lot of subjugation techniques of the past were to make people feel like they couldn't possibly make strides for equality because their numbers were too small. Prides are the antithesis to that form of subjugation and for lost souls cast out from their families to find a non-hostile culture. Prides are run by legacy volunteers and are huge in participation so people who want to gain political points for future votes or as an audience gathering together anyway to advertize to look at tipping their hat to the movement as personally adventageous. They don't nessisarily do it out of generosity and respect. While it's possible they do actually have aligned principles of civil rights it is basic backscratching as the LGBTQIA have something they want. Votes or dollars.

As far as I am aware Disability civil rights advocacy has moved mostly into the pocketsquare and tie political sphere rather than the rough and tumble social advocacy battles where it began and as a result the short memory of society has forgotten the impact and demands of those voices in the villiage square ring of cultural advocacy. Since fewer people are counted on to be tuned into C-SPAN then can be counted at to go paint some rainbows on their faces and participate in a mardi gras style carnival event it doesn't get the same level of attention.

In short - effective cultural advocacy along the lines of the LGBTQIA is driven by communities banding together and going out and being visible in force and making some kind of public fuss. All the better if it's an over the top fun day... Or if you set fire to things and riot that basically gets people talking and asking questions too. Basically whatever works to be the loudest squeeky wheel. Otherwise non-minority folk who don't have to think about your needs will forget to ask you what you need or straight up forget you exist.

[-] jungekatz@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

I dont think I understand what is the end goal of this question?

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[-] Rottcodd@lemmy.ninja 5 points 1 year ago

I would assume that first and foremost it's that, as the old saying goes, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. And disabled people and their advocates aren't squeaky enough.

Cynically, I think there's another explanation...

I think a lot of activism doesn't actually generate meaningful results. To some significant degree, it just serves as something for people to fight over and politicians to fundraise and campaign on.

To serve those purposes though, it has to be controversial - there has to be a basis on which one party can take a stance in favor and the other a stance opposed. And another handy feature of that sort of activism is that it doesn't have to actually be enacted, and in fact, it's better for the politicians if it's not. That means that the ones who supported it can fundraise and run merely on having supported it and on the need to counter the evil other party who opposed it, while those who opposed it can fundraise and run merely on having opposed it and on the need to counter the evil other party who proposed it. And since no money was spent on any program, that's that much more money the politicians can funnel to their cronies. It's basically free publicity with a bit of "Let's you and them fight" mixed in.

And LGBT might as well have been tailor-made for that exact purpose.

But with something like advocacy for the disabled, there's no basis on which either party could dare oppose it, so there's nothing to fight over, and worse yet, if it's proposed, there's no excuse for not passing it, which means they'd have to pay for it, and that's money that they'd rather be funneling to their cronies.

So politicians mostly just ignore it.

[-] Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 year ago

A lot of businesses look on people with disabilities as an expense rather than a market. And politically they're too diverse to be considered a voting bloc except for certain issues. But July was Disability Pride Month.... https://www.womansday.com/life/a43964487/disability-pride-flag/

[-] afunkysongaday@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

Really not trying to be an asshole here... But why would anyone be proud of being disabled?

[-] MossBear@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

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.

[-] Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 0 points 1 year ago

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.

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[-] Sterile_Technique@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

Your place of work should be willing and likely already has a policy in place to accommodate disabilities. Talk to them about your needs.

If that gets you nowhere, seek a less shitty employer. I'd start by trying to find other people with the same/similar disability and asking about the companies they work for. Once you find a good one that's compatible with your area of expertise, keep an eye on their postings.

What you DON'T want to do is just suffer in silence - no company is going to lift a finger for you unless you specifically ask it to.

[-] misnina@crystals.rest 4 points 1 year ago

For those asking for something that needs help/awareness, chronic pain sufferers (and disabled, but speaking from chronic pain myself) pretty much always have diminished mental clarity due to being in pain or stressed all the time. We can be seen as lazy when we don't have a job or have a hard time contributing, but I think people don't realize that getting medical shit done in america is like a full time job. The amount of hoops you need to jump through, repeat appointments to get your doctor to actually listen to your concerns, dealing with administration of doctors, insurance, and government because THEY STILL COMMUNICATE THROUGH FAXES, and just being dead tired of being a broken human being. You have to shout and scream basically or you will be pushed to the wayside.

So basically, please be aware of invisible illnesses and have patience. We may have the physical capability to do a task on a good day, but shit can get so beaten down. Also medically insurance covered, like, managers/secretaries that help you navigate this bullshit would be great. A real job as a medical advocate for a person should exist.

There could also be more awareness spread against the stigma/stereotype of people coasting off disability. (Often it's snuffed when it's mental) It's not really enough to live on, it can be taken away extremely easily, you have to resign yourself to poverty because if you can make some money you aren't truly disabled. That and disability submission takes 6 months to process, in which most people are denied first just cause. so they then have to get a lawyer to appeal, which takes months+. It's hard to get disability, and it gives you scraps.

[-] Kahlenar@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

To add, as most responses here seem correct but I haven't seen this said.

In recent mentors memory there has not been a moral judgement attached to disabilities. There's a lack of societal hate to overcome, everyone agrees disabilities suck and aren't your fault. So there's no rallies, no allies.

[-] Rentlar@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 year ago

Excuse my ignorance because my only (known) disability is needing corrective lenses.

LGBTQ rights and issues are relatively straightforward (where the goal is to love whoever you love and act like the person you want to be). Disability (to me) is much more of a vague and broad concept so I don't know what the aim of a movement would be.

The causes of disability range from a voluntary or involuntary event, whether it's a workplace incident, sports, car crash, or sometimes people have it from birth. People inflicted with conditions such as blindness, deafness, speech impediment, schizophrenia, or being bound to a mobility or other device like a wheelchair, pacemaker, hearing aid. There's such variety and people need assistance in different ways.

I try to help where I can, but I have trouble offering help sometimes. How do I support someone without calling attention to their disability?

[-] Cagi@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 year ago

I'm disabled and really we just need people to know and talk about how many of us live in poverty in wealthy countries. Look up how much a disabled person must live on for your part of the world. In my area, I have a bottom of the market, illegal rental suite in middle-of-nowhere farmland and rent takes up 2/3 of my monthly income, this is after we just got a boost to our shelter allowance. I live in Canada, some countries are worse, some are better. We just passed a new law federally that is supposed help a lot, but it will take about a year to get rolling and we've heard these kinds of promises before. We shall see.

A well supported disabled person can still contribute to society in other ways than a full time job, but right now we makeup the bulk of homelessness, a growing problem, globally. This problem is systemic, change must be legislative and that will only happen if these issues are in people's minds and conversations. So just do a bit of googling, find out how much a single person on disability gets, and talk about it with your friends. Get them to talk about it with theirs. If you really want to do your disabled neighbours a solid, write to your elected representative about these issues.

[-] MossBear@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

This is true. Many people at my age are at or nearly at the peak of their careers. I'm meanwhile trying to find something....anything that works with the limitations I have. Short of luck, I don't know how to avoid a future which doesn't result in poverty.

[-] gelberhut@lemdro.id 2 points 1 year ago

Well, as far as I understand "pride" came as a result of years when people have to hide their orientation since in some contries it was a crime and so on. And "now" they do not have to. Actually, these days, I see pride as outdated and overused - either your orientation your private business or it is a public show you put on your visit card (in this case why others should consider it as as a "private").

Not sure to what degree this is relevant for disabled people. Outside or the pride, I see many things are done to include disabled people in sociaty: -Trains and buses have support for disabled people and special places. And a lot of info labels here and there

  • same with mostly all public institutions
  • many shops are equipped to be reachable
  • I have never seen people were rud with disabled people, and usually are ready to support
  • there is special oplimpic games
  • in schools there are activities to show children how the life of disabled people looks like in person
  • etc...

ould you show example of discrimination you are talking about - no prime month is not a discrimination (many groups of people do not have it)?

[-] Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 year ago

Here's an example of disability discrimination: many doctors' offices don't have any exam tables a person could get on from a wheelchair. If you don't bring a person who can lift you they'll refuse to see you. Even when I'm there to lift my husband some will say that's not possible, but we just do it anyway.

By not having a table that lowers (they exist and are great) nor having an orderly to assist, they can avoid dealing with anyone with a disability.

And they get away with it because the ADA has no agency of enforcement. You would have to have the time, energy and money to sue each individual inaccessible business in order to make them change, so the burden is on the most vulnerable population.

Airlines are worse, because the airline lobby got them excluded from the ADA entirely.

As for people being rude to those with a disability, it happens all the time. Kids asking questions is not rude btw. I'm talking about rude adults making rude remarks.

However, there is a Disability Pride Month (July) a Disability Employment Awareness Month (October) and even a Disability Pride Flag. https://www.womansday.com/life/a43964487/disability-pride-flag/

And we have come a long way since I was young. We just have to keep moving forward.

[-] OsrsNeedsF2P@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 year ago

There's a lot of LGBT people with the same demand - "Let us be this gender". What demand are chronic illness people making?

[-] can@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 year ago

Accommodate and recognize their existence?

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[-] LethalSmack@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Part of the reason is what the consequences are.

Being perceived as gay in public? You get beat. Want to marry your partner? Too bad. Want to be able to advocate for your partner when they’re in the hospital? You’re now trespassing cause your not family. Happen to be watching nieces/nephews? Congrats , you’re now a pedo. The list of atrocities goes on.

This has gotten better over the years due to the protests and pride events

Chronic illnesses are generally met with sympathy. I’ve yet to hear of anyone being beat for their illness except for certain cases of tuberculosis and aids.

Not to say this group should be ignored. It just gets lost relative to everything else. Everyone deserves healthcare and it ends up being drowned out by that I think.

[-] QuantumCloud@kbin.social 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

No one will mention it as a reason for violence, but it happens all the time. When people perceive you as different, you will get treated differently. You'll likely experience violence, perhaps in more "subtle" ways, such as getting bullied. It's not seen as discrimination, since people will see you as an outsider and not as a person who behaves differently due to a chronic disease

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this post was submitted on 14 Aug 2023
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