By Aran Lim
A friend recently introduced me to a thought experiment called the “veil of ignorance” by political philosopher John Rawls (a wonderful YouTube video further explaining it is below). In it, we are asked to imagine designing a society without knowing who we will be in it – i.e. our own race, socioeconomic status, gender, physical ability are unknown to us. Naturally, most of us will be inclined to design a society that is as fair as possible, giving special consideration to the needs of the least privileged because we may ourselves belong to these groups.
This is, of course, impossible to directly translate into real life. Try as I may, I cannot completely divorce myself from my own biases, conscious or subconscious. However, I have found it to be a helpful tool in thinking about advocacy, in general and as it pertains to disability.
A dear family member of mine has a developmental disability. Observing the process of their diagnosis and ongoing experience as a disabled person galvanized my journey as an advocate. Initially, I was mostly motivated by the experience of this person whom I deeply love – and I remain motivated by this to this day. But it also became a gateway to advocacy more broadly. I began to engage with lawmakers and making phone calls to my congresspeople more regularly, voicing comments and concerns about policies and events that were directly relevant to me and those I cared about as well as those that did not personally affect me.
As I think about the work that remains, I can see the implications of the veil of ignorance on how I and others may approach disability advocacy. Although not perfectly practical, it serves as a poignant reminder of our shared humanity and the importance of empathy in advocacy and policymaking. As we grapple with the complexities of these processes, engaging with this mindset can lead to more robust, thoughtful actions that better address everyone's needs, and help reframe disability rights as a shared societal concern rather than a marginalized issue. By striving to create a world where everyone, regardless of their abilities, can thrive, we pave the way for a more just and equitable future for all.
How to Make Fair Laws: John Rawls and the Veil of Ignorance (youtube.com)
Image description: YouTube thumbnail with a solid purple background and text that says “John Rawls The Veil of Ignorance.” On the right side of the thumbnail, there is a picture of John Rawls from the chest up. He appears to be in his 60s. He is a white man with medium length gray hair wearing large square glasses, a light suit, and dark tie.
