What’s with Ableist Systemic Discriminatory Thinking?

Prior to pandemic, we (the disabled community – ed.) were forced to exist on the very fringes already fully aware society excluded us. Historically our community has never been viewed as vital equals capable of greatness even when incredible contributions to humanity by Differently Abled innovators, scientists, artists, engineers, and jurists, such as Helen Keller, Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, Dorothy Hodgkin FRS, Frida Kahlo, Andrea Bocelli, Thomas Edison, Charles Proteus Steinmetz, RBG and others throughout time, vehemently disproved the “dis-abled” hoax narrative.

Able-bodied authorities still build the systematic framework, controls, resources while systemically denying our relevance. How do we still not have equal rights, freedoms, and equal ethical protections? We are comprised of every ability, ethnic background, sexual identity, age, cultural heritage, etc. Yet, we still face overt discrimination are isolated and labeled as deviants by all ableist communities from similar backgrounds as ourselves.

Oh Yes, we have an innate understanding of what it means to be devalued and ostracized through cowardly explicit/implicit biases intended to harm us and subjective/objective oppressive ableist exclusion.

We have endured extensive exploitation from every societal sector while having the cultured perspective of unequal access. Daily experiences of inaccessible basic education, tech, jobs, finance, fair housing, and transport are exhausting.

We know ableist discrimination within the “unhealthy care system” as they’ve denied fellow Differently Abled neighbors and ourselves, equal access to health care treatment during this pandemic.

I am not speaking of the millions of incredible front-line responders, friends and neighbors who sacrificed to equally provide quality care; to them…total respect. I’m speaking of the millions of people, businesses, and agencies who intentionally place our Otherly Abled community at risk.

Many of us were turned away from hospitals across the country or denied quality care.

We will never know the truth about hundreds of thousands of unfortunate souls who perished. (-peace)

There is quite a bit of scientific data to suggest nearly 2/3 of the 800,000 + who perished, were Otherly Abled persons.

This total ongoing deadly discrimination, failure of accountability, along with, cultural and societal abuses by ableists must end.

I keep wondering how a world forever changed under COVID-19, Delta, Omicron, and other variants, can possibly continue legitimizing debilitating impacts of societal discriminatory abuses and oppression for Otherly Abled persons or whether we work together to stop it!!

As I quietly contemplate all that has happened, I visualize a more effective inclusive sustainable equitable global world for all of us. Get involved, get your friends, family and neighbors involved. Happy safe holidays, peace, and love! Please join in this discussion @IHonorADA #EndDisabilityDiscrimination

Contributed by: Ahyoka Atsadi Ama Oo-Law