What are your own hopes for the disability rights movement?

Earlier this week I wrote about a neat side project I am working on that involves recording a small piece of the disability advocacy history in Massachusetts. As I’m learning about architectural barriers, the ADA, and accessible public transportation — many of my own pursuits towards independence has been put into perspective. As one of my interviewees said, back in the 70′s the goal was to “just get disabled people into the buildings… never mind accessible bathrooms.”

But now that there are laws and standards that allow people with disabilities to have a presence in society, where else should the disability rights movement go? What would I like to see from the movement? I am really happy that a reader submitted this question because it gave me a chance to think about my own small role in the movement!

I am pretty sure that accessibility and inclusion will always be issues that need work. At one point accessibility and inclusion were not even blips on the radar, and it was really during the 70′s that advocates of disability rights made these issues a realized and tangible possibility. But it’s not enough. Getting us in the building and having ramps in the rear of buildings, or “wheelchair sections” in auditoriums/theaters are no longer milestones that society should applaud themselves over. We should push for more. It’s not enough that our communities can see that we exist, I would like for a day when people with disabilities are afforded the same quality of life that those without a disability are assumed to have.

These days quality of life isn’t easy for anyone; with the economy in the state that it is everyone is struggling with smaller and tighter budgets. I am not talking about quality of life in terms of financial status or valued assets, what I mean to talk about are expectations. Most people are assumed to be able to find a means for financial independence (a job), most are assumed to be able to have a home, a family, an education, and assumed to have some semblance of autonomy over their life that they’ve created or are trying to create. I am not so sure that those with disabilities have been granted these same assumptions. At least, not in my experience and not from what I’ve observed.

I hope for a day when people with disabilities are not just included or participating in society, but also held to the same expectations and assumptions that everyone is held to. There should be a day when I tell someone that I have a full-time job and higher ed degrees and not get a “really? How did you do all of that given what you have to deal with?” If our communities are allowing us to be present with them, then we should also  have the same expectations and standards that come with being a participant.

I am wishing for a day when the government doesn’t put a cap on how much I can have and achieve — whether in my job, healthcare, or education. These days there are hundreds of laws that say a person with a disability can do X, Y, and Z.. but not before Xa, Yb, and Zc are done.. and when those things are done first the experience of doing X, Y, and Z are barely recognizable or make us stick out like sore thumbs. Take for instance assistance with housing, or trying to get funding for a college education, or access to public transportation — these are all components of a “regular life” that “normal people” are assumed to have; why are people with disabilities then not afforded these same components that enhance their quality of life? Instead, the realities are that there are about a thousand hoops I have to jump through and priorities that need to be rearranged in order to achieve the same thing most others just walk right up to.

This was definitely a tough question and I’m not totally sure if I’ve fully answered it. What I will say is that I think the next direction the disability rights movement should take is one that expands the definition of ‘disability rights.’ It shouldn’t just be limited to access and inclusion, disability rights should also mean having options and the ability to choose — let’s not limit ourselves to what everyone else is able to do, let’s also consider the human right for potential!

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