as small as a world and as large as alone

3:22pm May 23, 2014

silversarcasm:

Disabled people are never portrayed with our own agency and humanity we always are portrayed as belonging to or being of use to abled people in some way either:

• Burdens. Our family’s tell sob stories to the media about how hard we are to deal with, we are seen as the drain on society, our whole existence is a problem to other people and any problems we have become narratives about those around us.
• Inspirations. You’re mobility impaired and play sport? Your whole life is used to tell abled people what you can do if you try enough. You are held up as better than the burdens and used to punish other disabled people. Although being an inspiration isn’t good, you are seen entirely as a vessel for abled people to motivate themselves without ever stopping to think of your humanity.
• Lessons. Similar to above, especially in fiction. Disabled are mystical beings who exist only to pass on knowledge to abled folk. We must never show weakness or need help, we exist only to help others and must be incredibly strong and not complain but always be the shoulder to cry on. We are not granted our own emotions or lives.

This shit needs to stop and we need to start being seen as fucking people, people with our own lives, thoughts, needs, wants and agency

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