As LEND comes to a close this 2021 - 2022 year, I reflect on everything I have learned about the disability movement and the fight for equitable access to society. I have learned so much that will positively impact my practice in the future. As I think about the next steps after LEND, I would like to emphasize the importance of taking the knowledge gained as a LEND trainee to become an ALLY for the disability community. The CDC states that an ALLY “acknowledges and respects individual experiences and abilities, learns about different disability types, leverages their influence to promote accessibility and inclusion, and yields the floor to people with disabilities to help identify and eliminate barriers.”
pictured is a circle outlined in bold orange with black text inside stating “I’m a DISABILITY A.L.L.Y”
There are a few things you can do to demonstrate allyship including educating yourself. We learned about many different disabilities but there are so much more we do not know about. Take the time to educate yourself about the various disabilities, disability models, disability movement, and ableism. When creating content make sure they are accessible from the beginning. You should consider accessibility in all that you do. Amplify the voices of disabled people over your own. Always assume that a disabled person is more than competent to speak and act for themselves. Lastly, speak up and speak out when you notice ableism occurring in your work, school, home, and social environment.
As you leave the LEND trainee program and move on to your next stage in life, I implore you to think about this definition of ALLY and make a conscious, concerted and constituent effort to be an ALLY for the disability community in all that you do.
Resources
● Become a Disability ALLY in Your Community and Improve Inclusion for All | CDC
