Breaking the Silence

I'm sick and tired of the silence surrounding my disability. I really am. My disability falls squarely into the highly visible and oftentimes highly disturbing camp. It's there, it's obvious, people care about it, it squicks people. I know this because I'm constantly being told by friends that so-and-so is feeling uncomfortable because of my movement disorder. But nobody brings these feelings up to me in person. Not ever. A silence surrounds my disability like almost nothing else in my life.

And when people aren't being silent about the discomfort my disability causes them, they're busy being silent, afraid that acknowledging that I'm just a little different than "everybody else" might somehow hurt or insult me. More silence.

Genderbitch, in her essay about the types of activists explains rather clearly in her discussion of "nukers" why silence is so poisonous. In order to combat oppression we need to speak out against it. In order to speak out against our oppression, we need to be able to speak. Silence surrounding our disability, sexuality, gender identity, race, whathaveyou silences our voice, ensures that we are not capable of self-advocacy.

A willingness to discuss the issue is prerequisite to social change.

This is why I want to make a huge shout-out and thank you to my social psychology professor. In talking about social assumption and bias on the first day of class he brought up my disability. Always respectful, but he brought it up. He created the environment where my disability, and disability in general, was safe to discuss. A place where the silence was lifted. In doing so he did so much more than any touchy-feely type could ever have done to advance my equal inclusion in society.

After he had brought it up and after myself and the class had a chance to discuss you could feel the tension and discomfort ease. Bravo!

~~
The Untoward Lady