Episode 23: Initiating The Uninitiated - The Accessible Stall

All too often, we struggle with the question: how can we advocate successfully when the people that need to know better are the ones hardest to reach? comes up. We try to tackle this in our latest episode. There’s a ton to unpack here. A transcript for this episode can be found here. This transcript is due to our generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you.

Where’s the line? Ignorance versus Willful Ignorance

One of the issues we talk about in this episode is ignorance. More to the point, we talk about the difference between ignorance and willful ignorance. Recognizing the difference is fundamental to understanding this episode. However, they are often used interchangeably. While the difference between them should be somewhat obvious, the question that still remains is: When does ignorance become willful? Where is that line?

How can we “initiate the uninitiated”?

This is the crux of our conversation. When confronting someone ignorant of disability issues about disability issues, how much slack should we give the person? Too much and they may assume they’re always in the right with no room to improve; too little and we come across as mean-spirited and rude. Luckily, we’ve come up with a list to ensure everyone walks (or rolls!) away happy.

Show me that list, yo.

1. Realize this is all subjective. Every disabled person has a different experience in their day-to-day life, so keep that in mind!
2. Ask a lot of questions and don’t worry about offending or how you’re coming across until you’re done asking. Use common sense, it’ll get you a long way!
3. Listen to the feedback about how you asked your question and how phrasing it better would have helped.
4. Most importantly, listen to the answers!

That is the greatest list of all time. Is the episode this good?

Probably not, but if you’ve listened or read this far you’ll enjoy it!

Notes from this episode: “Almost Politically Correct Redneck” memes

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Episode 22: Prioritizing Advocacy - The Accessible Stall

Have you ever noticed clashes among disability advocates over which issues are most important to address? Have you ever felt overwhelmed when trying to decide what advocacy issues most urgently require your attention? You’re not alone. In this episode, we talk about prioritizing advocacy in light of current events.

How do we even begin to figure out how we can go about prioritizing advocacy?

Ponder this: advocates fought like hell to block the nomination of Betsy DeVos for Secretary of Education. She was nominated anyway. What’s the next cause disability advocates should take on? Where will we be heard?

There’s another layer to this conundrum. We supposed to be a “disability community,” but more often than not, our advocacy priorities are at odds with other people who also count themselves as part of that community. We recognize that our overarching goals are the same: access and inclusion. Unfortunately, here’s where the similarities often hit a wall. The best ways to reach these goals will look different to everyone.

Everyone wants a chance to grab the megaphone and speak their minds, but the resulting discord can create confusion among the people we want listening. And that gets us nowhere.

But the reality is that there’s a lot happening in the world that does require advocacy. We’re not all going to agree on what’s most important.

So, how can we decide where to direct our advocacy efforts? What can we do so our advocacy is more than just shouting into the void?

Now, more than ever, prioritizing advocacy is a crucial strategy if we want our voices heard.

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