Parisa Fitz-Henley Instagram – Have you heard this word before? Today closes #DisabilityPrideMonth — a month that’s seen so many amazing creators and activists share their experiences w/disability. In conversations this month & previously I’ve noticed how many of us aren’t familiar w/ableism — even if we have a disability ourselves. Social media has been an incredible venue for people w/disabilities to share, many of whom haven’t found in-person venues to be accessible or welcoming. The covid pandemic made that painfully worse — and continues to — for many w/disabilities, while also showing wider communities how possible things like virtual work & virtual social spaces are (after decades of saying there was no way… & now returning to that). I learned this word on Twitter (RIP) & was introduced to so many amazing voices there. I learned that about 25% of a population is disabled, that the disability community is the only minority anyone can become part of at any time in their life, that about 4% of tv includes disability (cable does twice as ‘well’ as network), that anyone — probably almost everyone — can have some internalized ableism. I learned that MANY of our casual insults & ways of dismissing things as unimportant are words for or imitations of disability. These are hurtful slurs I won’t mention here but I HIGHLY recommend looking them up. You might be surprised at how EXTREMELY common they are. You might also be surprised that you have experienced or are experiencing disability. I have. And many around me have. There are many expressions of it, only some of which are visible. If the word ableism is new to you google up. Learning about it has been so enlightening & exciting for me. I realized I’d unknowingly been ableist to others & myself & that I could do better. I realized how much better the world can be for everyone as we root out ableism. I’ve learned we can not truly be about DEI or social justice if we leave the disability community out of discussions & don’t provide safe communal spaces. And how much the world is missing by not welcoming disabled voices to their rightful place at the table. Tagging a few great resources below. Please add more. 🤍 ID in Alt Text