» Common myths about disabilities: "You don't look disabled" (Being disabled doesn't have a "look", and invisible/hidden disabilities exist too!) "Look past the disability" (For many disabled people, our disability impacts many areas of our life. It's significant to us, and if we weren't disabled we wouldn't be the same person. Our difficulties don't contradict our strengths, but rather they coexist. Talking about disabilities like they're an extra/separate thing implies the default is not to be disabled, which isn't true. All sorts of people live, and that's OK!) "Disabled is a bad/offensive word" / "It's a different ability not a disability" (Disabled is not a negative word, it's just a fact. Disabled people aren't broken - there's nothing wrong with being disabled.) "Disabled people are so inspiring" (Disabled people aren't much different from able-bodied people, and shouldn't have to do anything to inspire others. Many of us don't want to live inspiring lives for able-bodied people. Calling us inspiring just because of being disabled can feel condescending.) "Disabled people are attention seeking / faking it" (Disabled people's experiences are real and valid! Gatekeeping the community is counterproductive for helping disabled people, as you can't judge someone's experiences just from an outward perception of them.) "Only __ people are disabled" (Anyone of any age, gender, academic achievement, social status etc. can be disabled, and being disabled can present in lots of different ways.) "Disabled people can't understand/perceive/learn/do __" (We can! If you choose to listen to us. Inaccessibility isn't an excuse to pass us off as less capable.) This project was made for the studio Disability Pride Month 2024 - https://scratch.mit.edu/studios/35420515/ Art and writing by @-Squiggle
