The Revolution Must Be Accessible: Reject Able-ism
By Mickey Z.
20 June, 2013
World News Trust
Photo credit: Mickey Z.
"I wish we could stop fighting. But so many of our people are still incarcerated in nursing homes and other institutions, so many are still living below the poverty level, so many are being denied basic human rights, including the right to live. We still face prejudice and discrimination in every area of our lives on a daily basis. So we have no choice but to keep fighting. Activism must come first." - Nadina LaSpina
The 2013 NYC Anarchist Bookfair may turn out to be a major teaching moment -- but not for the reasons you might expect.
Each spring, I look forward to the Anarchist Bookfair. Whether or not I am participating on a panel or just browsing the tables, this event is often the one chance per year I get to see certain out-of-state comrades.
This year, however, I consciously and loudly opted to skip the Anarchist Bookfair because the organizers chose a venue that was not wheelchair accessible. Presented as being “open to everyone,” the event would have been more accurately described as “open to anyone able to climb a few steps.”
Thus, I boycotted the bookfair in solidarity with my many comrades with disabilities and -- in the name of sparking awareness and conversation -- I posted about this widely on Facebook and have mentioned it whenever I speak at other events.
For context, ask yourself this: What would you do and how would you feel if you were unintentionally (but really: intentionally) excluded from participating in meetings and protests?
The most common and clearly sincere response I get when discussing accessibility is something along these lines: “Wow, that never even crossed my mind.”
Then, of course, we have those “activists” who opt to view able-ism much like speciesism: not urgent, something to be dealt with “after the revolution.”
In other words, this isn’t a narrow condemnation of a single group of organizers. The issue of accessibility rarely crosses any “able-bodied” activist’s mind. In fact, the primary reason I’ve learned to consider this factor is because I’ve been fortunate enough to be a fellow traveler within the disability rights movement since the mid-1990s.
It started with a postcard…
Back in the pre-Internet days of yore, I used to review zines for a wide range of print publications, e.g. Factsheet 5, Anderson Valley Advertiser, and Alternative Press Review. One of the zines I was assigned to cover was Mouth Magazine: Voice of the Disability Nation.
My glowing and nuanced review inspired Lucy Gwin, founder and editor of Mouth, to send me a postcard of gratitude (I'm sure I still have that piece of snail mail around here somewhere).
To paraphrase, Lucy basically expressed appreciation that -- finally -- a "normal" radical like me "got it" about disability issues. A friendship was born, I soon became the "token normal" on Mouth's writing roster, and I learned to adore their motto: PISS ON PITY. In 2005, I even included a chapter about Lucy and related issues in my book, 50 American Revolutions You're Not Supposed to Know.
It is from within that context I express vexation over the continuing lack of support from and/or the inability to “get it” within progressive circles. From the movement’s early days -- the League of the Physically Handicapped was formed in New York City in May 1935 -- right up to today's issues, the Left has typically missed or blown the opportunity to work collectively with those waging a crucial human rights battle.
“Krips” are the 99%
"It is disheartening, to say the least," says Marta Russell, author of Beyond Ramps: Disability at the End of the Social Contract, “when I can still pick up a book or read a call for unity to fight for social justice which omits or does not give equal weight to the disability social movement against oppression.”
Reality Check: It should go without saying that people with disabilities have plenty to contribute as equal members of the vaunted 99%.
"As the political focus is constantly on the deficit, disabled people face an economic terrorism everyday of our lives," Russell adds. "What will be snatched out from under us next? Social Security? Medicare? Medicaid? Section 8 Housing? Low income heating assistance? In-Home Support Services? You get the picture."
Among the disability rights activists I’ve met via Occupy Wall Street (OWS) is Nadina LaSpina, a mutual friend of Lucy Gwin's who uses a motorized wheelchair. Nadina is a former professor and a leader in the NYC and national ADAPT chapters and has been arrested more times than she can count.
“If we want our voices heard, we can't sit this out or wait for an invitation,” says LaSpina. “They will only address our issues if we are there and do the work.”
Someone else “doing the work” is Michele Kaplan -- another disability rights activist (and fellow vegan) I met via OWS.
Another teaching moment: Superstorm Sandy
When Occupy Sandy Relief was launched in late 2012, Michele Kaplan wanted to drive Betty (her motorized wheelchair) from her apartment in the Gravesend area of Brooklyn and volunteer ASAP. There was only one problem.
“All the ‘hubs’ or volunteer locations were these old Gothic churches who temporarily let Occupy Sandy use their space to help out the communities,” Kaplan explains. “An unlikely joining of forces perhaps but for the most part, it worked. Except all of these old gothic churches were constructed apparently way before the concept of wheelchair accessible existed, and many had landmark status so they couldn’t be remodeled to make them wheelchair accessible. In other words, none of the volunteer locations were wheelchair accessible and I suddenly found myself unintentionally isolated not only from the relief efforts, but from the Occupy movement itself since most people were busy volunteering.”
That’s when she asked herself two crucial questions: “What if there was a relief kitchen that was wheelchair accessible? What if I cooked from home?” In November 2012, The Occupy Gravesend Kitchen was born. Kaplan describes what happened next:
“Each time I delivered a meal to an inaccessible volunteer location, it started the dialogue of wheelchair accessibility. Each time I delivered to one of the hubs, a volunteer had to meet me in the front and pick up the relief meal because I had no way of getting inside the building and this did not go unnoticed. People would say without being nudged or prompted ‘We really need to build a ramp here.’ A lot of people who perhaps weren’t so aware of inaccessibility were becoming aware and they were getting why it was important.”
The awareness quotient doubled since Kaplan was cooking and sharing vegan meals. This often started a parallel dialogue about eating habits and climate change and, of course, storms like Sandy.
“The meat and dairy industry (according to a UN study) is one of the largest contributors to climate change,” says Kaplan. “So to cook vegan relief meals, it was fulfilling the need for relief meals without supporting the very industries that helped get us into the mess in the first place. It was addressing the bigger issue.”
Watch Michele Kaplan's documentary: Small Kitchen, Big Impact.
Able-ism = privilege
Lucy Gwin and Mouth. Nadina LaSpina and OWS. Michele Kaplan and the Occupy Gravesend Kitchen. The list goes on and on and serves as a clear reminder that, as Kaplan declares, “individuals should never underestimate our power to help out and impact the world.”
Never forget: Able-ism is a privilege. To surrender that privilege -- to surrender any privilege -- is a revolutionary act. And revolutionary acts add up to, well… revolution.
Some basic tips:
>> Choosing a venue with steps but then offering to “carry” people in wheelchairs is not an acceptable alternative.
>> Make sure the entrance is flat and/or has a ramp.
>> Make sure the hallway is not too narrow.
>> If you're meeting in a park, make sure there is a curb cut and try to avoid meeting on top of a hill.
>> When creating event pages and/or invitations for your events, clearly state accessibility details like ramps, bathrooms, transportation options, etc.
(Occupy on Wheels is a great source for more detailed info)
When seeking to create social change, we can never forget that inclusion is universal and solidarity is a powerful way to lead by example.
The main lesson of all these teaching moments: Surrender the privilege of able-ism… now.
#shifthappens
Mickey Z. is the author of 11 books, most recently the novel Darker Shade of Green. Until the laws are changed or the power runs out, he can be found on an obscure website called Facebook. Anyone wishing to support his activist efforts can do so by making a donation here.
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