The Mythical *Pass* for Differently-Abled People

aishah · 03-13-2012, 02:52 PM

for me, having access does not mean getting a "pass."

i resent being forced/expected to overcompensate and act as normal as possible. i don't think that's a healthy way to be in the world. it's caused me a lot of pain and suffering and trauma, and usually it's futile. but i do respect that it is my responsibility to communicate my access needs and that as the person with the disability, educating others about disability, accessibility, and inclusion usually falls to me.

i also understand that having a disability doesn't give me a pass to be a jerk. but often i have access needs that other people take as something offensive (for example, needing to sit on the floor because chairs are agonizing, or using a computer during a meeting so that i can stay on track when i'm dealing with ridiculous amounts of pain and fatigue - in the "normal" world these things are viewed as annoyances, disruptions, impolite). so i do my best to make people understand that just because what i'm doing doesn't look "normal" for whatever setting does not mean i am being rude.

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03-13-2012, 02:52 PM	#11
aishah Member How Do You Identify?: queer stone femme shark baby girl Preferred Pronoun?: she, her, little one Relationship Status: dating myself. Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: dallas, tx Posts: 1,495 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 13,823 Thanked 6,442 Times in 1,288 Posts Rep Power: 21474851	for me, having access does not mean getting a "pass." i resent being forced/expected to overcompensate and act as normal as possible. i don't think that's a healthy way to be in the world. it's caused me a lot of pain and suffering and trauma, and usually it's futile. but i do respect that it is my responsibility to communicate my access needs and that as the person with the disability, educating others about disability, accessibility, and inclusion usually falls to me. i also understand that having a disability doesn't give me a pass to be a jerk. but often i have access needs that other people take as something offensive (for example, needing to sit on the floor because chairs are agonizing, or using a computer during a meeting so that i can stay on track when i'm dealing with ridiculous amounts of pain and fatigue - in the "normal" world these things are viewed as annoyances, disruptions, impolite). so i do my best to make people understand that just because what i'm doing doesn't look "normal" for whatever setting does not mean i am being rude.