Some Tips for Activist Groups:
on how to be more inclusive to people with disabilities (ie, the differently abled)
this has been completely rewritten from a longer version that used to be here
First, understand this is being written for people who are interested in it, as suggestions in case you want them, by someone who is disabled by chronic illnesses. Since much of society is not inclusive or understanding of many types of disabilities, and often this is because people simply are not aware of facts of life for people with disabilities, there are perhaps some things that activists are not aware of too. So these are just some tips, based on personal experience and in networking with other people with disabilities, including many women interested in political activism.
First of All: Do not assume no one in your group is disabled, whether or not they have ever told you they are, and despite that they are not in a wheelchair. There are many people with disabilities that are not visible on the days when they are feeling well enough to go out in public.
Second: Please do not assume such suggestions written below are requests for special accomodations. Some of them are actually often necessary accomodations for people to be involved with your group if they are disabled.Others are things that many groups will not be able to do for financial reasons, and that some disabled people do not need. I cannot speak on behalf of all disabled people. Some people with disabilities may disagree with some of the suggestions below.
On Meetings: Ways to Be Accessible
1. Hold your meetings in places that are wheelchair accessible if possible. If not possible, please let people know this in advance. Remember that a building being wheelchair accessible does not mean its location is. Places on hills, places with steps and no working elevator, places on brick sidewalks or other types of foundation that causes trouble for wheelchairs, are also not accessible.
2. Hold meetings, whenever possible, in a place close to public transportation, meaning, with as little walking distance as possible. If there is going to be walking distance, please let people know this in advance. Some people cannot walk the lengths that able-bodied/ healthy
people consider to be short distances.
3. Let people know in advance: the purpose of the meeting, the length of time expected for the meeting to run (if you do not know, that is also a length of time you can mention easily with a question mark). Let people know, as specifically as possible, what this meeting is meant to accomplish. This is helpful to people with disabilities who have little energy and have to be very careful in delegating where they expend energy. Also, some people simply are not able to be in lengthy meetings.
4. Understand people with disabilities (whether or not you know they are disabled), may have to leave early. This can be because they are about to faint, they are extremely exhausted, they need rest or medications....They have sudden symptom flare-ups. And other reasons. Please be understanding. They can tell you their reasons for leaving. If you don't know and want to know why someone has to leave - ask.
5. Understand when people cannot come to meetings at all. Some people truly would like to be there but are unable to go anywhere due to debilitating symptoms. You may not know, when you meet this person, that they have days when they cannot get out of bed, or out of their home, but this may be the case for them for 90% of their lives, and you may have just met them on a day that was in the other 10%. Understand that this is highly possible.
6. To accomodate people with disabilities who cannot come to meetings, here are some suggestions:
-do conference calls with them, if your organization has the capability to do that (some people who cannot physically get there would still like to be involved in the conversation)
-allow them to email their input for the meeting in advance, and offer to read it for them
-email or post online or mail your meeting notes
-offer them a ride to the meeting; some people can get out with help but do not have that assistance available
-offer them a ride home too
-if they can host a meeting in their home, consider allowing them to do this, if it is the only way they can participate (and understand if they have to lie down during the meeting)
-actually, understand if people have to lie down during a meeting anywhere (if you have been to a meeting where people have chronic diseases that cause severe fatigue you find that many people do indeed lie down for the meetings, simply because they have to)
-understand if people have to use two chairs and put their feet up; there are illnesses that cause blood pressure to drop when a person is sitting in the upright position (i have this type of illness, and siting with my knees bent helps prevent my blood pressure from dropping; it is not a sign of rudeness)
-do not have meetings in places where there are no restrooms, as people with many disabilities might not be able to get somewhere else to use a restroom like everyone else
-clearly list on the meeting plans whether or not the meeting is in a wheelchair accessible building and how much walking is involved from public transportation, and the expected length of time for the meeting
-if someone needs to bring a sign language interpretor with them to a meeting, allow them to do so
-if someone cannot speak due to disabilities that affect vocal cords and the trachea, let them communicate with you in the ways that they are able to (this may involve writing or allowing them time to speak slowly without interuption)
-if you have a flu, or any other contagious virus, and are going to be at the meeting, be aware that there may be people in the group who have diseases that involve weakened immune systems and exposure to new viruses can severely affect their health, their quality of life, and possibly kill them - also, understand that a virus you can get over in 2 days may take a person with a dysfunctional immune system much longer to recover from (you may wish to personally tell them you are sick beforehand so they can decide whether or not to go to the meeting, or decide not to go yourself if you know they will be there)
-do not wear scented fragrances, particularly if you are aware that a member of your group has an illness which may involve chemical sensitivities (this means, not wearing scented shampoo or scented deodorant also, for such people), to that end the person herself can let the group (and should) know if she needs them to be aware of this type of illness; it's not something that is relevant to all disabled people
Projects and Working Groups:
1. Understand that disabled people who are primarily or paritally homebound but have access to the internet are often active on the internet. If your group has a website to maintain or an email listserve, consider that this may be somethiing a disabled person can do, whereas flyering, tabling, outreach, civil disobedience, and other activities may be things they cannot physically do. For this reason, consider that the disabled person who is capable of working on a web site or an email list should be given priority for doing so over a person who is not disabled and offers to do so, because that person who is not disabled can do other things to benefit your group.
2. If there are projects like making signs and posters, some disabled people who cannot come to where you are meeting to help with this may be able to help from home. Work with them on how they can be involved from home if that is the only way they can be involved, and allow them to do such things from home.
3. Consider that there are many people with disabilities who cannot do some of the following things:
-march
-civil disobedience
-walk around to do flyering
-attend frequent events (which may be more frequent to them than you consider them to be)
-be in a place where there is danger of police harassment that may involve physical force
-run (as in, the way people had to run from the police in New York in February during an unpermitted march)
-attend an unpermitted march (for the above reasons)
-type much
-email much
-answer their phone as often as they could if they were healthy
-build things, take down stages and sets and props, make large props, etc.
-be visible in the media (some people with disabilities on Social Security Disability benefits, or Long Term Disability from a job, have to fight very hard to prove that they are really disabled, thanks to how our screwed-up system is designed; for this reason, any risk of being seen on a day when they are feeling well enough to go to events and participate, may involve some concern that they are at risk for having someone with the power to remove their benefits - ie, their only way of surviving financially - and this is not a risk people can afford)
4. Let people know if the events you are planning are going to involve possibly being photographed, videotaped by surveillance cameras, watched by federal agents, or garner attention from any mass media outlets. Let them know this in advance. As the same issue i important for people who are not legal citizens, it is also relevant to some people living on disability benefits.
5. Ask for input on how your outreach, flyers, events you are planning, and other things can be made more accessible to people with disabilities in the general public, and listen to input on this from a disabled person in your group when they give it to you.
6. If you are having a vigil or other activity that requires standing, remember that some people with disabilities (including people who do not use wheelchairs), cannot stand for long periods. Let them know if the place where you are having a vigil (such as, in front of the White House), is not a place where they will be able to sit on the ground, if that is not allowed by the police, but that they can use a wheelchair (and under the Americans with Disabilities Act, they usually can sit in a wheelchair). Letting people know this allows people with disabilities who do not regularly use wheelchairs but need to sit down for an activity like a vigil, have the information they need to be able to take part in it. For instance, they can go rent a wheelchair. I have done this myself for this exact reason. Consider trying to get a donated wheelchair for such people to use during vigils, so they do not have to go and rent them themselves.
7. Understand there are disabilities where people do not regularly use wheelchairs either because they physically cannot push themselves in a wheelchair, so therefore it is usually useless to them, or because they can get around without one most of the time, or other reasons. There are many people with chronic illnesses who only use wheelchairs during activities where they need one, but do not need one all the time. There is a difference between mobility impairment and chronic illness, when talking about disabilities. If you see someone in a wheelchair at one point, and standing up at another point, do not assume that they never actually needed the wheelchair in the first place. Few people use wheelchairs for pleasure.
Events:
1. When making flyers or press releases, etc., avoid the use of language which may exclude people with disabilities. One example of this is a phrase like, "STAND UP for peace and justice" being put on flyers for an event. Many people on this planet are not capable of physically standing up. Try using other words, and ask for input on this. Some examples instead of "stand up", are "show support", "demand", "make your voice heard", etc. These are just a few examples related to the above phrase. This is not an issue that will offend eveyone with a disability when it is not considered, but in an effort to avoid using the mentality that all people are fully able-bodied, try being more creative with wording.
2. Many people cannot ride bikes, cannot walk distances, and therefore cannot be part of convergences or marches where other options are available. Offer other options so that they can participate in your event without the physical activity that they are not able to do.
Here are some examples of how to do this:
-have vans or buses at marches, and make sure one of them has a wheelchair lift on it, if possble
-have a convergence "run, stroll or roll", the way organizations specifically geared towards disabled people often do. This is just one example of wording; there are many variations that can be used. allowing people who are in wheelchairs to know that they are welcome even though they cannot ride a bike or march is important unless you want to keep all people with disabilities who cannot do those activities from being part of your organization
3. Make sure when you hold events that they are, whenever possible, held in buildings which are wheelchair-accessible, close to public transportation, and have restrooms that do not require long walking distances, whenever possible.
4. Let people know the size of a venue where you are having an event. Fundraisers, teach-ins, conferences, and rallies, are often held in large areas. Many people cannot walk through large areas, and will not be able to come to such an event. Knowing beforehand the size of an area allows people to make plans ahead of time so that they can participate, or gives them the information they need to know that they cannot participate.
5. To help people in such large areas participate, if they are in a wheelchair, and cannot push it themselves, offer to push it for them. Try having volunteers who are willing, ahead of time, to do this, in the event that it is necessary.
6. Rather than just using vans or buses to tranport people with disabilities in marches, try to actually include them in the march in a way that allows them to be more involved than they can be from the inside of a vehicle. This can involve pushing them in a wheelchair, or if they can push themselves, making sure there is space for them to be able to get through the crowd without having to continually yell to ask people to move out of the way. If they would like to be at the front of the march so that they can use their wheelchair without trouble, let them be at the front of the march.
7. Do not assume to know how any particular person with a disability wants to be treated. Do not assume, for instance, that they would want to be part of a march. Rather, ask for their input as much as possible. Do not come up to someone in a wheelchair and start pushing them without asking them first if they want you to do this. This is a common habit which annoys many people in wheelchairs as it is rather condescending, even though people who do it usually mean well . Ask them if they want to be pushed.
8.If planning a large event, consider including a seasoned disability rights advocate in the planning process to help with making the event as accessible as possible.
Understanding:
1. Know that there are many chronic illnesses (many of which primarily affect women), that have symptoms that wax and wane. This means that you may see someone one day who looks healthy and seems to have plenty of energy, but what you do not see is the rest of the month when they are spending most of their time in bed because they are too sick to do much.
2. Do not assume that a person's lack of attendance at meetings or protests means they are any less committed or devoted to your cause or less interested in your group, than anyone else is. If someone is disabled, they may very well be just as committed as everyone else in the group, and may have much to offer your group. They may also feel very alienated when they sense that they people who are deemed most committed are the people who are physically able to be the most active. Usually, no
one is any less disappointed by a disabled person's inability to be very active than the disabled person herself is. This is a source of great isolation, depression, low self-esteem, loneliness, and despair
for many people with chronic illnesses and other disabilities who want very much to be dong much more than they are physically able to do, and then also have to deal with other people assuming that they are not there because they did not want to be there. Assume that maybe they wanted to be there
and could not be there, and for this you should have sympathy rather than criticism.
3. Remember you do not know who in your group has a disability. All disabilities are not visible. Not all disabled people announce to you that they have a disabling condition. Remember that the information here is relevent to your entire group because there may very well be people involved, who you have on your listserve, or who you have met, who are disabled and have not mentioned this to you. It is their own responsibility to mention it if they need accomodations, but when there is little evidence that a group would provide such accomodations, and when there is a sense that people who are not physically active are not really activists, a person with a disabling condition may not want to announce to you that they have such a condition. If they do tell you, make an effort to be understanding. Some people are perfectly willing to explain to you their condition, if you ask. Do not be afraid to ask.
4. Realize that people with some disabilities have memory and concentration problems. This is not a lack of intelligence. It is often a nervous system problem, a neurological problem, or sometimes the result of medications they need to take. If someone cannot remember things well, do not assume that they are less intelligent than people who can.
5. Make an effort to always offer creative options, or ask for input from other members on creative options that allow people with disabilities to be involved in your activities, particularly when most of the activities in your group may be things a person with a disability cannot do at all. Emphasize that all forms of activism are important.
6. Know that all forms of activism are important. Many disabled women I have known could never march on Washington but could certainly run email lists efficiently, create web sites, write for zines or newsletters, design flyers, do phone calls, come up with ideas, pass along information, write petitions, create graphics or artwork, write music, gather information, articles, web site links, and do many other things that may not be seen by most people as being as obvious a form of activism as getting arrested is, but ARE just as much an important form of activism as getting arrested is, and when this is as much as a person could do, they should never have to feel like they are look down upon as being less of an activist because they cannot do physical things which are traditionally thought of as activist work.
