Originally published in the Spring/Summer 2021 issue of Diversability Every day in the US, a conversation like the following one occurs: Employee with disability: I can’t do X because of Y. Some examples of this might include, “I can’t use…
Six actions that will destroy disability/diversity ally credibility
Believe me when I say that for all underrepresented communities, including disability, actions speak WAY louder than words. Most organizations want to claim they are inclusive. You don’t find many that proudly shout publicly that they intentionally exclude underrepresented minorities,…
What types of media representation do people with disabilities want to see?
If you ask a disability activist, the answer to this question is more complicated than you might think. Media representation of people with disabilities is at an all-time high. But the numbers don’t tell a complete story. For starters, that…
California Law AB 979 promoting board diversity does not go far enough.
AB 979 law has a much too narrow definition of “underrepresented communities,” leaving out many identities who deserve to be included. AB 979 was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom last year. This law requires that by the end of 2021,…
Seven Steps to Processing a “Teachable Moment”
Not so much when the “teachable moment” pertains to diversity or identity, be it gender, age, disability, ethnicity, LGBTQ+ status, or any other aspect. Let me tell you that under those circumstances, “teachable moments” are unequivocally awful experiences, even under the best of circumstances.
Are you ready to be anti-ableist in 2021?
Make a New Year’s Resolution to add anti-ableism to your skillset from 2021 going forward. As I start to think about the standard “year-end” / wrap-up articles related to accessibility, this one seems pretty obvious. We need more people to…
How to prevent your conference calls from getting hacked
A few simple, proactive steps will help reduce the chance of this terrible event from occurring on your watch. I recently attended a large public event hacked by someone making racist, sexist, homophobic remarks. It was the kind of event…
How people with disabilities can be ableist
TL;DR: They internalize the dominant paradigm: abled is good, disabled is bad. Exhibit #1: Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott Greg Abbott is a wheelchair user, only the third wheelchair-using governor in United States history. What happened that caused him to…
Ten basic accessibility facts
All accessibility managers should be comfortable communicating the following facts and the reasons behind them. Fact #1: All accessibility (digital and physical) is a civil right. The Americans with Disabilities Act is a civil rights law for people with disabilities.…
Performative Disability Allyship
Are messengers seeking to disrupt ableism or just seeking praise for “taking a stand” that will never result in substantive change? Performative followed by any word implies that the messenger is acting in a performance. The messenger might think they…