How can society be more inclusive to people with disability?

[Stagnant Axon Terminal]

I don't wish to delve too much in this because it's a topic that is too close to home but one thing that needs to change in our social approach to be inclusive to people with disabilities is to stop shaming those who have disabilities that aren't readily visible. This idea that you have to look sick enough outwardly to be worthy of help. Some disabilities are internal, or psychological and do not necessarily present with physically visible symptoms. We need to understand that. And more to the point, we need to stop being dismissive of these people.

This totally, but related to that I'd add that we also need to recognise that a lot of people have good days and bad days. I have a friend with chronic pain: sometimes she was dancing in night clubs, other days she was in a wheelchair.

Thats a big one. I haven't gotten a wheelchair yet - or even a hangtag for my car - specifically because I don't want people to look at me and go "You were teaching yesterday on your feet, you walked to the cafeteria, why do you need one today? Sounds fake/sounds lazy/etc."
Because people are just awful

[Hispida]

i'm not physically disabled but i am mentally (ADHD) and it actually plays a huge impact on my life, both personally and academically. the problem isn't necessarily that day-to-day life is hard for me -- although it can be occasionally -- the problem is that neurotypical people don't even try to understand what mental disabilities and neurodiversity really is/are. "autistic people are either screechy or boring, kids* with adhd can't sit down, people with ocd need to adjust things constantly, people with depression are always sad," blah blah blah
*it's never adults :thonking: hmmm i wonder why

the fact is, you have to treat people with disabilities differently to make them the same

give people wheelchair ramps. let people with ADHD or autism have time. the way society works is revolving around the neurotypical and physically enabled (physotypical?). the simplest way to change this is just education.

people (NOT KIDS, IT'S A LIFELONG DISABILITY) with ADHD usually have sensory processing disorders or neurological disorders alongside ADHD. so we need space to think, to unwind. we need stimulation when we're understimulated and destimulation when we're overstimulated. is this simple? no, not at all. is it easy to fix? no. but can simple education about what ADHD/autism/BPD/OCD really is change everything? of course. people should learn that yes you can have multiple neurodivergent disorders at once (i'm possibly ADHD and autistic alongside one of my best friends), yes there is much more to ADHD than being hyper or autism than being brooding and cold, yes there is so much more to learn.

sorry that i'm focusing on neurodivergence all my physically disabled peeps, i'm not physically disabled like i said so i don't feel as personal about advocating for it. i don't really know where to start lol

that being said, the issues within mental disability and neurodivergence lay not solely on those who aren't. edit: i was gonna type more but now i forgot what i was gonna type. oooOOOOooo, live your lives in mystery

[Punished UMN]

i'm not physically disabled but i am mentally (ADHD) and it actually plays a huge impact on my life, both personally and academically. the problem isn't necessarily that day-to-day life is hard for me -- although it can be occasionally -- the problem is that neurotypical people don't even try to understand what mental disabilities and neurodiversity really is/are. "autistic people are either screechy or boring, kids* with adhd can't sit down, people with ocd need to adjust things constantly, people with depression are always sad," blah blah blah
*it's never adults :thonking: hmmm i wonder why

the fact is, you have to treat people with disabilities differently to make them the same

give people wheelchair ramps. let people with ADHD or autism have time. the way society works is revolving around the neurotypical and physically enabled (physotypical?). the simplest way to change this is just education.

people (NOT KIDS, IT'S A LIFELONG DISABILITY) with ADHD usually have sensory processing disorders or neurological disorders alongside ADHD. so we need space to think, to unwind. we need stimulation when we're understimulated and destimulation when we're overstimulated. is this simple? no, not at all. is it easy to fix? no. but can simple education about what ADHD/autism/BPD/OCD really is change everything? of course. people should learn that yes you can have multiple neurodivergent disorders at once (i'm possibly ADHD and autistic alongside one of my best friends), yes there is much more to ADHD than being hyper or autism than being brooding and cold, yes there is so much more to learn.

sorry that i'm focusing on neurodivergence all my physically disabled peeps, i'm not physically disabled like i said so i don't feel as personal about advocating for it. i don't really know where to start lol

that being said, the issues within mental disability and neurodivergence lay not solely on those who aren't.

I personally don't draw a distinction between mental and physical disabilities, they are all related to brain structures, which are physical.

[SD_Film Artists]

Stop the 'inspiration porn', ie "OMG this person decided to date a disabled person for prom, what a heroic self-sacrifice! Such compassion!!" No, they just chose to date someone who happend to be disabled, and made the unsolicited charity even worse by filming it for internet points.

Also making autism support more about supporting autistic people rather than terrifying parents into giving money to organisations which only exist to demonise autism to create more fear money. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ioac0Vxb3w

I for one believe in the transhumanist salvation of widespread bodily engineering that will take away man's fate from God's pitiful design flaws and put it into our own choices. The goal is to not "conform" to societal normalcy (of which is already lacking), the goal is to far exceed it.

Yes!

Why have eugenics when you can install a gun-arm?

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

Stop the 'inspiration porn', ie "OMG this person decided to date a disabled person for prom, what a heroic self-sacrifice! Such compassion!!" No, they just chose to date someone who happend to be disabled, and made the unsolicited charity even worse by filming it for internet points.

I for one believe in the transhumanist salvation of widespread bodily engineering that will take away man's fate from God's pitiful design flaws and put it into our own choices. The goal is to not "conform" to societal normalcy (of which is already lacking), the goal is to far exceed it.

Yes!

Why have eugenics when you can install a gun-arm?

Scoring social media points. Yes. That should be stopped.

[Hispida]

Stop the 'inspiration porn', ie "OMG this person decided to date a disabled person for prom, what a heroic self-sacrifice! Such compassion!!" No, they just chose to date someone who happend to be disabled, and made the unsolicited charity even worse by filming it for internet points.

I for one believe in the transhumanist salvation of widespread bodily engineering that will take away man's fate from God's pitiful design flaws and put it into our own choices. The goal is to not "conform" to societal normalcy (of which is already lacking), the goal is to far exceed it.

Yes!

Why have eugenics when you can install a gun-arm?

DID SOMEONE SAY GUN ARM

WHILE YOU SLEEP, WHILE YOU EAT, WHILE YOU SHIT, IT'S HERE SUCKIN UP MAKO

[Senkaku]

Can’t we just issue every citizen a mech suit and a brain chip at birth?

[SD_Film Artists]

Stop the 'inspiration porn', ie "OMG this person decided to date a disabled person for prom, what a heroic self-sacrifice! Such compassion!!" No, they just chose to date someone who happend to be disabled, and made the unsolicited charity even worse by filming it for internet points.



Yes!

Why have eugenics when you can install a gun-arm?

DID SOMEONE SAY GUN ARM

WHILE YOU SLEEP, WHILE YOU EAT, WHILE YOU SHIT, IT'S HERE SUCKIN UP MAKO

I was more thinking of Deus Ex's skull gun or Ghost in the Shell's arm gun

[Hispida]

DID SOMEONE SAY GUN ARM

WHILE YOU SLEEP, WHILE YOU EAT, WHILE YOU SHIT, IT'S HERE SUCKIN UP MAKO

I was more thinking of Deus Ex's skull gun or Ghost in the Shell's arm gun

oh

o-oh, oh yeah, that uh

that works too

[The Blaatschapen]

Can’t we just issue every citizen a mech suit and a brain chip at birth?

Quite a few people were born before the invention of the microchip, so no.

[Lanoraie II]

Well, America could start by making SSDI/SSI at the absolute minimum the same as a minimum wage (read as: what the minimum wage SHOULD be) 40 hrs a week job would give you, and not punish you for attempting to make extra income. I'm significantly disabled and get 800 a month. It's literally unlivable. I have absolutely nowhere to go and will probably face homelessness *again* soon.

i'm not physically disabled but i am mentally (ADHD) and it actually plays a huge impact on my life, both personally and academically. the problem isn't necessarily that day-to-day life is hard for me -- although it can be occasionally -- the problem is that neurotypical people don't even try to understand what mental disabilities and neurodiversity really is/are. "autistic people are either screechy or boring, kids* with adhd can't sit down, people with ocd need to adjust things constantly, people with depression are always sad," blah blah blah
*it's never adults :thonking: hmmm i wonder why

the fact is, you have to treat people with disabilities differently to make them the same

give people wheelchair ramps. let people with ADHD or autism have time. the way society works is revolving around the neurotypical and physically enabled (physotypical?). the simplest way to change this is just education.

people (NOT KIDS, IT'S A LIFELONG DISABILITY) with ADHD usually have sensory processing disorders or neurological disorders alongside ADHD. so we need space to think, to unwind. we need stimulation when we're understimulated and destimulation when we're overstimulated. is this simple? no, not at all. is it easy to fix? no. but can simple education about what ADHD/autism/BPD/OCD really is change everything? of course. people should learn that yes you can have multiple neurodivergent disorders at once (i'm possibly ADHD and autistic alongside one of my best friends), yes there is much more to ADHD than being hyper or autism than being brooding and cold, yes there is so much more to learn.

sorry that i'm focusing on neurodivergence all my physically disabled peeps, i'm not physically disabled like i said so i don't feel as personal about advocating for it. i don't really know where to start lol

that being said, the issues within mental disability and neurodivergence lay not solely on those who aren't. edit: i was gonna type more but now i forgot what i was gonna type. oooOOOOooo, live your lives in mystery

"you have to treat people with disabilities differently to make it the same"

Holy shit this so hard. I was literally turned down for a homeless shelter because I can't do 20 hrs of community service. I am significantly disabled and cannot work almost any job. I told them this and they said "hmm, well we treat everyone equally so " No, you hold everyone to the same neurotypical, ableist standards and are denying the disabled homeless a place to live because they don't fit those standards. It disgusted me so much, being told I can't stay at a shelter because I'm disabled. Conveniently ignoring the fact that I was homeless BECAUSE I CAN'T WORK A FULL TIME JOB!!!!

[Thermodolia]

I don't wish to delve too much in this because it's a topic that is too close to home but one thing that needs to change in our social approach to be inclusive to people with disabilities is to stop shaming those who have disabilities that aren't readily visible. This idea that you have to look sick enough outwardly to be worthy of help. Some disabilities are internal, or psychological and do not necessarily present with physically visible symptoms. We need to understand that. And more to the point, we need to stop being dismissive of these people.

This totally, but related to that I'd add that we also need to recognise that a lot of people have good days and bad days. I have a friend with chronic pain: sometimes she was dancing in night clubs, other days she was in a wheelchair.

Total this.

Some days I do not feel like doing anything at all, other days I have more energy. Just because one has depression/PTSD/Anxiety/whatever doesn’t mean they are depressed or anxious or what have you 24/7.

I know for me personally it tends to come in waves and I can go for months feeling like nothing is wrong and then boom I feel like shit

[Lanoraie II]

The harsh truth in my view, is that most non-disabled people won't care, they don't want to be taking care of a disabled person. Once your body breaks down on you, people will push you towards a nursing home or hospice so that you'll die sooner. Once you're not as physically capable, bosses or decision makers will move to get you fired or dismissed.

The only way is to avoid becoming paralyzed for as long as possible or to take care of yourself in staying in physical shape. You either fix, limit, or conceal your disabilities where possible if you still want to be useful. If you're more of a burden than a benefit, people will look to abandon you by default.

It is nothing new, there is always going to be a bias towards rewarding ableism. People want someone who wins rather than loses. Plus in our species' hunter gatherer origins or phase, whoever couldn't survive was abandoned to their fate for the sake of splitting resources with the rest of the tribe that was still productive.

The best solution I could devise was for them to stay with extended family if that is in the cards, but to stay they'd have to provide some non-physical boon such as if they could babysit for free whilst the working parents are away at work, and can avoid the costly daycare options.

Why do people have to work to deserve a place to live?* Disabled people are worth investing in even if they can't turn a profit. It's so dehumanizing and disgusting to only see how much value people have economically. And not all of us have friends or family we can stay with. We're not "losing" because we can't make the billionaires richer either. Life is more than just money and productivity.

*If they cannot work any significant amount due to disabilities

[Thermodolia]

Well, America could start by making SSDI/SSI at the absolute minimum the same as a minimum wage (read as: what the minimum wage SHOULD be) 40 hrs a week job would give you, and not punish you for attempting to make extra income. I'm significantly disabled and get 800 a month. It's literally unlivable. I have absolutely nowhere to go and will probably face homelessness *again* soon.

Ya the paltry amount that SSDI gives you is quite appalling. I get about a thousand a month from SSDI. Which while isn’t that bad it’s not more than enough to provide for everything.

Im just glad that I have 100% VA disability which provides for a lot

"you have to treat people with disabilities differently to make it the same"

Holy shit this so hard. I was literally turned down for a homeless shelter because I can't do 20 hrs of community service. I am significantly disabled and cannot work almost any job. I told them this and they said "hmm, well we treat everyone equally so " No, you hold everyone to the same neurotypical, ableist standards and are denying the disabled homeless a place to live because they don't fit those standards. It disgusted me so much, being told I can't stay at a shelter because I'm disabled. Conveniently ignoring the fact that I was homeless BECAUSE I CAN'T WORK A FULL TIME JOB!!!!

I feel ya on that. I can’t work a job at all, mentally I just can’t. While I can start a job fine anywhere between 6 months to a year or sometimes less than a month I’ll end up quitting or getting fired because of my disabilities

[Odreria]

Can’t we just issue every citizen a mech suit and a brain chip at birth?

Quite a few people were born before the invention of the microchip, so no.

Also most citizens have already been born

[Saiwania]

Why do people have to work to deserve a place to live?* Disabled people are worth investing in even if they can't turn a profit. It's so dehumanizing and disgusting to only see how much value people have economically. And not all of us have friends or family we can stay with. We're not "losing" because we can't make the billionaires richer either. Life is more than just money and productivity.

It just seems to be what happens most often in real life because love or hate it- money makes the world go around. So it is nonetheless the way the world works. You have to adapt to it or be left behind because other people just aren't going to accomodate if most people aren't disabled enough to sympathize.

The root of the problem is that no one truly cares about your problems more than you do. Everyone has their own reality to attend to.

Housing typically has maintenance, tax, utility, and etc. costs which have to be covered via rent or out of pocket. At best someone who is too disabled will be a tax/healthcare burden and plenty of people think to themselves that "no- the disabled aren't worth investing in or should be lower priority."

It is sort of like how its a tragedy if someone is a dork socially, and they really had the looks/potential to be cool or higher status if they knew how to carry themselves better or if they picked up superior game or social skills. But the outside world isn't really going to see it worthwhile to directly intervene/help them in that regard.

The default social assumption is that they have to make their personal development journey on their own because other people are worried more about themselves and their interests/alliances. An individual stayed low status or moved up in the world because it was either meant to be or if they accomplished more and gained respect or a status increase in social standing.

[The Hazar Amisnery]

We already give disabled people lots and lots of opportunities to be included in society. Unless of course you live in a place like America then you might have a problem with paying for those opportunities.

[Thermodolia]

Why do people have to work to deserve a place to live?* Disabled people are worth investing in even if they can't turn a profit. It's so dehumanizing and disgusting to only see how much value people have economically. And not all of us have friends or family we can stay with. We're not "losing" because we can't make the billionaires richer either. Life is more than just money and productivity.

It just seems to be what happens most often in real life because love or hate it- money makes the world go around. So it is nonetheless the way the world works. You have to adapt to it or be left behind because other people just aren't going to accomodate if most people aren't disabled enough to sympathize.

So instead of using that money to help disabled people you just want to go “lol fuck you”

The root of the problem is that no one truly cares about your problems more than you do. Everyone has their own reality to attend to.

That doesn’t mean we need to throw disabled people to the wolves.

Housing typically has maintenance, tax, utility, and etc. costs which have to be covered via rent or out of pocket. At best someone who is too disabled will be a tax/healthcare burden and plenty of people think to themselves that "no- the disabled aren't worth investing in or should be lower priority."

What about disabled veterans sai? I’m too disabled to actually work and so by your logic I’m a tax and healthcare burden. And while I don’t work I use the money that’s given to me to buy things and thus helping the local economy

Disabled people aren’t burdens Sai. Not one of us asked to be disabled and tbh I’d give anything to not be so freaking disabled that I can’t work.

It is sort of like how its a tragedy if someone is a dork socially, and they really had the looks/potential to be cool or higher status if they knew how to carry themselves better or if they picked up superior game or social skills. But the outside world isn't really going to see it worthwhile to directly intervene/help them in that regard.

This is a weird version of the bootstraps meme

The default social assumption is that they have to make their personal development journey on their own because other people are worried more about themselves and their interests/alliances. An individual stayed low status or moved up in the world because it was either meant to be or if they accomplished more and gained respect or a status increase in social standing.

You and IM must live in the same fantasy world because that’s not how things actually work

[Unified Communist Councils]

The root cause is that until society can cast away the yoke of implicit dehumanizing narratives such as "Disability = Liability/Undesirable State", inclusivity and acceptance will never reach optimal levels due to subliminal biases and prejudicial views held by people. The day when disabilities stop being a topic of ridicule, scorn and derision behind closed doors are when disadvantaged peoples can truly feel safe in society.

The problem is actually trying to convince the vast majority to accept these individuals, not simply get them to comply with the legislature with legal repercussions, but as in persuading the majority of people to abandon the prejudices that disability = liability/unproductive. I think this can most certainly be achieved by teaching people that people with disadvantages can perform well at their job, pushing the narrative that what's holding back many of them is simply apathy and indifference on part of abled people. It's hard enough that work itself is a struggle due to disadvantages, it only makes it harder on these people if people refuse don't support them, it becomes a sort of circular self-reinforcing cycle of "I believe disableds will fail at life, I see disableds struggling at life, further proving my belief that they will fail at life".

[Postauthoritarian America]

Part of the solution is Universal Design. I'm most familiar with it in an educational setting so here are a couple examples from that:

1. You're a custodian at a school. It snowed last night and the snow has to be removed so the kids can get to their classrooms. The buses are about to arrive so there's not much time. You can choose between clearing off the stairs or clearing off the wheelchair ramp; you can't do both before the buses show up. There are 10 kids in the school who need the wheelchair ramp. The rest don't, they can take the stairs. Which do you clear off?

You clear off the wheelchair ramp. All the kids who can take the stairs can also use the ramp. The 10 kids who need the ramp can't use the stairs. If you clear the ramp all the kids can get into the school.

2. You're a teacher at a school. You need to play a game of musical chairs. One of the kids in your class uses a wheelchair always. Another student is Deaf. What do you do?

Instead of chairs, mark out spaces on the classroom floor. All the kids, including the one who uses a wheelchair, can occupy a space on the floor rather than sitting in a chair. In addition to the music, use a visual signal such as a light going on or off to signal when kids need to find a space to occupy. All the kids, including the one who is Deaf, can see the visual signal.

Jobs, public and private spaces, education, public services, everything needs to be designed so that everyone can take advantage of it regardless of ability or lack of same. Even that might not create absolute equality in all things. But it would go a long way toward that goal. Universal Design is the key.

[Hispida]

Instead of chairs, mark out spaces on the classroom floor. All the kids, including the one who uses a wheelchair, can occupy a space on the floor rather than sitting in a chair. In addition to the music, use a visual signal such as a light going on or off to signal when kids need to find a space to occupy. All the kids, including the one who is Deaf, can see the visual signal.

but this gets rid of the best part of musical chairs (waiting until you're the last two and then stealing the last chair right as the music stops so the other person falls right before they're about to sit down)

[Stagnant Axon Terminal]

Part of the solution is Universal Design. I'm most familiar with it in an educational setting so here are a couple examples from that:

1. You're a custodian at a school. It snowed last night and the snow has to be removed so the kids can get to their classrooms. The buses are about to arrive so there's not much time. You can choose between clearing off the stairs or clearing off the wheelchair ramp; you can't do both before the buses show up. There are 10 kids in the school who need the wheelchair ramp. The rest don't, they can take the stairs. Which do you clear off?

You clear off the wheelchair ramp. All the kids who can take the stairs can also use the ramp. The 10 kids who need the ramp can't use the stairs. If you clear the ramp all the kids can get into the school.

2. You're a teacher at a school. You need to play a game of musical chairs. One of the kids in your class uses a wheelchair always. Another student is Deaf. What do you do?

Instead of chairs, mark out spaces on the classroom floor. All the kids, including the one who uses a wheelchair, can occupy a space on the floor rather than sitting in a chair. In addition to the music, use a visual signal such as a light going on or off to signal when kids need to find a space to occupy. All the kids, including the one who is Deaf, can see the visual signal.

Jobs, public and private spaces, education, public services, everything needs to be designed so that everyone can take advantage of it regardless of ability or lack of same. Even that might not create absolute equality in all things. But it would go a long way toward that goal. Universal Design is the key.

Yes. If everything is built, run, or maintained accessibly, then everyone is capable of using it.

[Valentine Z]

Teach kids and adults alike that you're not of less worth as a person just because you have an arm or a leg missing, or with mental handicaps.

It might take them some time to do a task, or maybe it's something they can't do at all, but hey, neither can a fully-abled person do some tasks at times. Find their merits and work on it.

Support them along the way - emotional support, financial, and the like. We as a whole should love the people around them a little.

[Diahon]

I for one believe in the transhumanist salvation of widespread bodily engineering that will take away man's fate from God's pitiful design flaws and put it into our own choices. The goal is to not "conform" to societal normalcy (of which is already lacking), the goal is to far exceed it.

hm, yes

but how far shall we exceed our humanity? we already know that not all we perceive to be disabling are in fact so -- that fact underlies the concept of neurodiversity, for instance

were it in our power to do so, are we, then, to eliminate from the human species potentially disabling conditions such as the autism spectrum (even in their milder, potentially beneficial intellect-altering manifestations) for the real possibility of greater individual peace of mind, never mind social cohesion?

[Saiwania]

I could get behind trying to make disabilities a thing of the past. It's unlikely, but our medical technology might become good enough to where replacing a hand or anything else, is easily done and won't cost an entire mortgage or more to finance.