I've seen the following pictures no less than 5 times this week and they're all problematic for me as a disabled person. Let me explain.
The 1st picture is supposed to be a dig on today's millennial generation or whatever TF they are called today. Basically those under the age of 30---which, technically isn't all of the millennials, by the way. That goes up to age 37. I digress, let's assume it indeed means the 20-somethings and younger. The fact that people don't know how to write in cursive isnt their fault. The school system is failing them and so are their parents/guardians. You can't blame an entire generation for something they were never taught by their superiors. But that's not even the thing that bothers me. I abhor the word "cripple". But even that isn't bothering me. In this instance, it's actually grammatically correct. It's the fact that you want to immobilize a group of people simply for their inability to drive a stick shift. Know who else can't drive a stick shift? The disability community. This meme says to me that you wish to immobilize or get rid of us because you see us as inferior people since most of us can't drive a stick shift. That's preposterous! A stick shift isn't the standard to which someone should be held. Neither is writing in cursive. So stop sharing this bullshit meme.
The 2nd picture is nothing less than inspiration porn. Inspiration porn is the portrayal of disabled people as inspirational solely on the basis of their disability. Basically, you're inspired by a disabled person simply for doing normal every day things. A common phrase I see that's inspiration porn is: "Theres no disability except a bad attitude." That is fucking insulting and its bullshit. There's hundreds of disabilities and it's okay to have them. I don't live my life to inspire others simply because I get out of bed every day instead of slitting my wrists for being in a wheelchair. I can do damn near everything (if not everything you can) and it's not in spite of my disability. Just like you, it's because I want to. My life is actually pretty phenomenal these days, but it's not inspiring. And it's not inspiring that the guy is holding an umbrella for the girl in the wheelchair. Maybe it's her friend, brother, cousin, husband, boyfriend, etc and he's just fucking being nice. The people I see sharing this assume that he's a stranger helping the poor, defenseless damsel in distress. Even if he is a stranger, so what? I hope he would do the same for anyone, wheelchair or not. You know...just to be a decent human being without feeling pity for someone that doesn't need it. What bothers me is the photographer. He/she obviously saw this only as a feel good "awww" moment. It's not. It's just 2 human beings going about their day in the rain. So stop sharing the bullshit inspiration porn memes.
That 3rd meme is spot on! Finally, someone got it right! I can't tell you how many times someone hasn't wanted to talk to me about their shitty day/experience simply because they think I have it worse. We ALL have shitty things to happen to us. Mine are no better or worse than yours. They're just different. Don't be dismissive about what you are going through just because you think I (or someone else) am going through worse. Open up to me or to someone else. You don't have to suffer in silence. We can empathize together. ❤
