Barriers and Disability

[VictorR]

In my advocacy work, my main focus is on identifying and trying to break down barriers.

Why?

Because conditions only become disabilities when those with conditions encounter barriers that they are unable to overcome.

In disability circles, there's a well known illustration of three persons at a baseball game.

In the version shown above, with five cells the first cell shows reality - that some people have advantages (money, connections, etc.) that may result in them being able to better enjoy watching the game, whereas others may even have disadvantages that further compound what they'd need to overcome the physical and metaphorical barrier that the fence poses.

The second and third cells show the difference between equality (often implemented by well-meaning persons, but which is actually ableist) and equity (which takes into actual needs, and is the focus of many programs and policies which address disabilities, and is often decried by those without access needs as being "unfair").

The fourth cell, labelled "justice" shows the standard desired model - where the fence is taken away. Now everyone can watch the game.

This particular illustration includes a fifth cell, labelled "inclusion" where those who wish to play (rather than to just watch) are also welcome to do so.

---

What I'm writing about here is a long topic on its own, but I just wanted to write about it here briefly because the biggest barrier for persons with disabilities, especially hidden and/or episodic disabilities, is attitudes.

People tend not to think of barriers unless their own life, or the life of someone close to them, is impacted by barriers. And even for those who face barriers, we can sometimes be conscious of those that impact us, and not necessarily those that impact those with other conditions.

And so something that I'd like to encourage everyone to do in the coming year, is to learn more about challenges faced by other persons, and to increase awareness (in whatever way you're comfortable with) of barriers and advocate for the removal of them. Remember that nothing is too little, and sometimes, just talking to someone may spark them to tell someone else, etc.

When we can break down and remove barriers, everyone wins.

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

I am a wheelchair user, and while equality is something I appreciate, I'm opposed to equity. I will explain why.

The person who earned the money, they have the right to that resource, as it was earned from the labors of their body.

Sharing is noble, it is a great sacrifice. But if sharing is mandatory, then it is no longer a great gift. Sharing, when forced upon all, becomes nothing more than theft.

I'm also somewhat against inclusion.

It is okay if the kid that isn't good at baseball isn't included on the team. Maybe he will find out he's really good at mountain biking, or poetry. It is an important, humbling, milestone in life, to be told that one is not as good as the masters of a craft. To be encouraged in that which they excel at. To be shown where their potential for greatness lies, if they continue working on their form.

There are different leagues of sports for a reason. Biological male bodies do not belong in women's athletic spaces. Their core muscles and bone density are too powerful for female bodies to compete against. No matter how badly feelings get hurt, it is not sportsmanlike. It is unfair.

I will rock out, cheering my head off at The Special Olympics. And I will do likewise at a major league Hockey Match (especially when the Portland Winterhawks are knocking the teeth out of British Columbia).

And a couple of friends who are crummy at badminton can challenge each other in the park, laughing at how they keep hitting the birdie out of bounds, just having fun.

They all have their place. People want to strive for and achieve excellence. It is a noble pursuit, and only a few can accomplish it in its truest form. We as viewers, or voyeurs, get to watch the best of the best compete against each other for the ultimate prize.

And some of us, while gazing on in amazement, will be inspired to try to emulate their great works.

 

[VictorR]

I am a wheelchair user, and while equality is something I appreciate, I'm opposed to equity. I will explain why.

The person who earned the money, they have the right to that resource, as it was earned from the labors of their body.

Sharing is noble, it is a great sacrifice. But if sharing is mandatory, then it is no longer a great gift. Sharing, when forced upon all, becomes nothing more than theft.

Equity encompasses many things which may not necessarily involve money.

Consider employment for one example.

Autistic persons are disproportionately likely to be underemployed.

In my opinion, two major contributing factors is that many jobs are available through networking / word of mouth only and thereby favor those with larger networks / more connections (which autistic persons tend not to have), and that conventional interviews tend more to be a test of interviewing skills and ability to sell oneself (things which autistic persons also tend not to fare as well in) versus a test of one's ability to actually perform the job.

So an employment related example of equity, would be,

rather than: solicit job candidates via word-of-mouth and having them go through a conventional interview process

do this: solicit job candidates via an openly posted job ad, and having an interview process that involves simulated work and/or presentation of portfolio, so candidates who might actually be really good at a job, but who might not be good at selling themselves, get a chance

---

But even when it involves money, consider...

A university offers bursaries / grants to students of lesser financial means, giving them a chance to attend when they might have otherwise gone to one less expensive, or forgo going to school altogether. This increases the diversity of their student population which is ultimately better for them anyways.

A city has a law that requires that new rental housing have a certain percentage of units set aside for income-adjusted rent. (e.g. A new apartment building can rent out 85% of its units at market price, with 15% of units set aside to be rented out at a price based on a percentage of a renter's income, if that calculation results in a price less than the market price). This means that when some builds new apartments for rental, they would already be taking this variability into account. This benefits persons with disabilities, for whom affordable housing is often a major challenge, but also provides flexibility for changes to circumstances - as it may permit someone living in an income-adjusted rent unit who loses their job (or goes on leave to care for a family member, etc.) to continue living there with lower rent, but conversely, someone who was once lower income but is now financially better off can also continue living there and pay more rent according rather than having to move out because their income crossed a certain threshold.

 

[VictorR]

I'm also somewhat against inclusion.

It is okay if the kid that isn't good at baseball isn't included on the team. Maybe he will find out he's really good at mountain biking, or poetry. It is an important, humbling, milestone in life, to be told that one is not as good as the masters of a craft. To be encouraged in that which they excel at. To be shown where their potential for greatness lies, if they continue working on their form.

There are different leagues of sports for a reason. Biological male bodies do not belong in women's athletic spaces. Their core muscles and bone density are too powerful for female bodies to compete against. No matter how badly feelings get hurt, it is not sportsmanlike. It is unfair.

I will rock out, cheering my head off at The Special Olympics. And I will do likewise at a major league Hockey Match (especially when the Portland Winterhawks are knocking the teeth out of British Columbia).

And a couple of friends who are crummy at badminton can challenge each other in the park, laughing at how they keep hitting the birdie out of bounds, just having fun.

To use sports as an inclusion doesn't necessarily mean we include anyone who wants to be on a given team to be on a given team, and having different leagues is actually an example of inclusion.

If ice hockey only has one tier, than only the very best get to play. But there are many tiers, so those who wish to play can find one that's a good fit for them, while striving to improve and perhaps make it to the next level. Even in professional ice hockey, while it is exceptionally rare, there are examples of players who have made it to the NHL despite being undrafted and/or starting in a significantly lower level league (e.g. ECHL). Had those lower leagues never existed, they wouldn't have had those opportunities.

Two of my favourite examples of inclusion in sports/athletics include:

"Open" competitions - consider in soccer, the US Open Cup and the UK's FA Cup - both allow teams at virtually any level to participate (in the UK's case, down to the ninth tier), and again, while a lower league team is unlike to get out of the preliminary rounds, they still have to opportunity to compete in the same competition. And who doesn't love a good underdog story?

Running/walking/wheelchair events with generous time limits - e.g. 2.5+ hours for a 10k. Sure, the elites will be done within the first half hour, and in really large events, might have finished before all the corrals have made it across the start line, but what I love about road races is how they give everyone the opportunity, regardless of ability, to be competing on the same course, with the same start and finish line.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

The only virtue I would embrace at this time is "justice". The rest, I am thinking would be subject to the specific context. I am not convinced that "equality" and "equity" can actually exist as a broad functional policy. Even "inclusivity" may get a bit muddled as a broad policy.

I am reminded of how government officials refer to "rights". Everyone may have a "right" to do something, but in application, specific people may not have the "ability" for a long list of reasons.

Ability, whether it be physical or mental, is often what determines outcomes.

Now, I am not speaking with regards to the advantages or disadvantages of wealth or the lack thereof. This is related, and a variable to consider, but not to which I speak.