told my dad the other night that being a collective felt like it was fighting human nature. when he started on his whole speech about the failures of socialism, i started this list.
why disabled youth organizing is hard as hell (aka whose bright idea was this??):
- all of us are fighting for self-determination in our own lives
- all of us are coming from some place of isolation and alienation, abuse and trauma. we are all still learning how to talk about those experiences and trust each other.
- many of us don’t have basic tools for organizing (phone, internet, transportation, personal income, supportive family structures)
- many of us live in rural areas and lack access to community
- many of us are in survival-mode & are navigating fostercare, psychatric institutions, nursing homes, group homes, juvie
- all of us are told we are consumers, not leaders
- all of us are unlearning everything we’ve been taught
- all of us are learning about our own disabilities and each others
- hard to figure out who our allies are. in nonprofit industrial complex, when we make a decision that isn’t popular with allies (like using the word “disabled” as a political word of power in our name), we don’t just lose support, ageist and ableist tactics are used to try and take our power
- this is honestly first time a lot of us have been asked: what do you want? what do you see for yourself & yr community?
why radical disabled youth organizing is so beautiful:
- we live interdependence. there aren’t any feelings of one-way dependency or charity because everyone is helping each other out & knowing we need each other.
- disability + youth + non-hierarchical collective power structure = radical spin on inclusion, access, and self determination
- we know how to do a lot with a little. (e.g. feed 12 people for 3 days on $100, sleep 3 in a bed… i want to see rachel ray top that shit.)
- we are often experiencing things for the first time with each other. travelling, being independent, crushes, love…
- we are creative as hell. (can’t wait for you to see our disability history zine, self-advocacy rap, and no pity comedy puppet show that we are using in schools this month)
- there isn’t any model for what we are doing so we get to pave the way and dream up whatever we want
- we have some amazing elders and allies who support us
- we are shattering every preconception known
writing this list for the hard times, like this week. can’t help but fall in love w/ them all over again.
“I want to see Rachel Ray top that shit.” hahahahahahahahahahaha! On a serious note, however, thanks so much for writing this list. I do feel, in a way, that I’m unlearning everything I’ve been taught. Reading your writings makes me feel so much better. (This is real talk).
Posted by Daria on October 8th, 2009.
[...] if it wasn’t so necessary, the whole thing would be impossible # all of us are learning about our own disabilities and each others # hard to figure out who our allies are. in nonprofit industrial complex, when we make a decision that isn’t popular with allies (like using the word “disabled” as a political word of power in our name), we don’t just lose support, ageist and ableist tactics are used to try and take our power # this is honestly first time a lot of us have been asked: what do you want? what do you see for yourself & yr community? [...]
Posted by FWD/Forward » Recommended Reading for October 14th, 2009 on October 14th, 2009.