When discussing the Judith Butler video in class tuesday, one of the points that really stuck with me was that anytime a disabled person would do something it was a form of protest because it generally makes able bodied people uncomfortable. There are strict subconscious societal rules in place and anytime someone breaks that rule it sticks out and people tend to get oddly nervous or unsettled. Sunaura Taylor said people would get uneasy if she used her mouth to pick up things. Why? Why do we strictly have to use our hands and who said that we have to in the first place? When you think about these subconscious rules, such as picking up things with your hands or walking in a certain way, you see that disabled people were made to be excluded from the beginning.
Along with this discomfort there's a weird trend with able bodied people, we like to say "that's so inspiring" or "I could never do that" when talking about disabled people. It sounds harmless and even kind to say but instagram artist Mari Andrews offers another perspective.
These are all good points to make. Most disabled people in my experience just want to be treated like everyone else, with no special treatment. I think that the concepts from our spatial justice article fit well here. The ideas of spatial claims, power, and links. Spatial claims is shown through the ability of the disabled person to be able to exist in a certain space without fear of being mistreated. Spatial power is when the disabled person can carry out their daily tasks without hinderance. Finally, spatial links is shown through the ability of disabled person to be able to transfer themselves from one space to another without difficulty. In a world where disabled people want to be treated like everyone else, it is important to keep these concepts in mind. For example, that is why doorways must be wide enough to accept the passage of a wheelchair or other mobility device. Otherwise, it would inhibit the disabled person’s ability to move to a new space, thus preventing them from existing in a space, which prevents them from carrying out their daily lives. If all three of these conditions are met, then the disabled person should feel more inclusive to society.
ReplyDeleteI agree with these points you two are making. As a tour guide at Ohio University I've experienced this first hand. We have two separate tour routes. One is the regular route and the other is called the "ADA" route. From the ADA Network it states, "The ADA defines a person with a disability as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity." This is important to have two different routes because someone will feel excluded if they are using a wheelchair and can't get into certain resident hall rooms or classrooms like everyone else. With the ADA route we have distinctive rooms that we view and roads that we follow so everyone will get equal access. I remember from the video they stated, "Physical access leads to social acceptance." That couldn't be more true in this case. With the proper route to follow and an enthusiastic tour guide, they will feel right at home. At Ohio University we want to promote fairness within our tours and everyone to feel welcomed socially to ultimately make people have a sense of belonging.
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