I wish Cawthorn used his platform to undermine ableism by showing his political party that not everyone can stand, and that is okay. I wish he showed the GOP that it is okay to be Disabled. I wish he acted as a role model to Disabled children, showing that he doesn’t have to perform able-bodiedness in order to be a leader. He can lead just as efficiently from a chair. There is enough pressure on Disabled children without having someone like Cawthorn standing and catering to able-bodied norms.
Tag: Ableism
In Defense of Sitting
Yesterday, I saw a video of a disabled man standing up from his wheelchair to dance with his bride at … More
Some Other Time: on Dismissing the Disabled Community in Spaces of “Justice”
When I enter spaces of social justice, I am often greeted with “We’ll talk about disability later.” Disability is a … More
The Escalator: The Costs of Inaccessibility
Last week, a man in a power wheelchair died from falling down an escalator at a train station in Columbia … More
The Oxymoron of Being Disabled and Twenty-one
Being twenty-one and disabled often feels like an oxymoron. My college apartment has makeup and textbooks, but also … More
Survivor’s Guilt
“You’d be dead.” I wondered if that was meant to comfort me as my stomach clenched. I know, I know. … More
My Community
I’ve always been told that college is a place for free-thinkers. It is. Loyola was the first place … More
The Able-bodied Struggle
I attended public school for twelve years. The high school I graduated from was majorly overrun by able-bodies. … More
The Myth of the “Super Cripple”
I am disabled. I am the “socially acceptable” kind of disabled; I am the kind of disabled that … More
The New Commissioner for the Administration on Disabilities: Misunderstanding and Ableism Within the Disabled Community
It is disheartening to hear that Melissa Ortiz was appointed to the position of Commissioner of the Administration … More