To say that our collective experiences were anything less than scarring is, I feel, an understatement. And we need to start talking about it, about what happened and is happening still, because even if we don’t, we’ll still hear something in the silence.
When these ideas are ingrained in us, we end up critical of those who don’t fit the standard, including ourselves. For me, when a migraine or my iron deficiency sucks me into my bed, my eczema visibly flares, or more recently, my (probable) pinched nerve and foot injury make exercise impossible, I feel like I’m admitting to some sort of wrongdoing.
According to the Pew Research Center, a staggering 22% of United States teenagers reported facing bullying at school during the 2019-20 school year.
The improper handling of such topics can drive people out of conversation or hurt them, spread misinformation or stop similar conversations from happening altogether.
June 9, 2019. Ali Stroker wins Best Featured Actress in a Musical at the 73rd Annual Tony Awards. An actor, singer, and wheelchair user, Ali Stroker has been a trailblazer for disability representation on the stage. She was the first wheelchair user to graduate from the Tisch School of the Arts Drama Department at New York University. In 2015, she was the first wheelchair user to appear on Broadway, starring as Anna in the musical, Spring Awakening. For her performance as Ado Annie Carnes in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, Oklahoma!, Stroker became the first wheelchair user to win a Tony Award in 2019.
Take the quiz: Check Your Ableism!
Being Young and Disabled
By Noah Griffth, Auburn University
I Was a "Student of Concern"
By Kate Jackson, Rutgers University
In My Moment of Distress
By Anonymous, Temple University