Signal Boosting

[caliente_uk]

The discrimination that people with disabilities have to put up with in this world upsets and angers me more than I can say.

Most of you know that my daughter is a full time wheelchair user, so this sort of attitude isn't new to me. But every time it happens it still feels like a punch to the gut.

Link to vom_marlowe's LJ:

Disability, fandom, and me: Here's your place, live in it, or the VVC storm

This has got to be one of the worst cases of discrimination I have ever had the misfortune to come across in fandom, and believe me when I say I've come across quite a few in my time.

Isn't it about time this sort of thing stopped happening?

ETA: And just so you know, this isn't the first time I've posted about disability and fandom. The sad thing is, I can't see things changing any time soon. *sigh*

Comments

[caliente-uk.livejournal.com]

People with disabilities require different kinds of assistance - and the kind and amount of 'visible' work varies greatly. Another aspect that I think is important in this discussion (the question of visible/invisible disabilities shows up in laurasaphiro's journal a lot) is to consider that it's the person with disabilities' decision whether or not they bring an aide and it's not really temporarily abled people's place to question this decision/necessity, let alone to judge it.

Yes! No-one but the person with a disability and their carer/aide knows what support they need. There are often disabilities or medical needs that are hidden, and why should someone have to tell all and sundry what they are if they don't want to?

I completely agree that it should be the person with a disability who decides what support they need, and that other people have no right to pass judgement on it.

It makes me so angry that this sort of thing is still happening in 2010!

Thank you so much for this comment. :)