Dear Reader,

This is the last post of my project. At least for now. I will turn it in tomorrow night. I want to thank all 600 of you who have read this blog over the last four months. You read it from 4 continents. You sent me links you thought I would like and you commented. You contributed. And hopefully, as I learned you learned.

As you watched me go from my first post, discussing handicapped parking, saying we should “be grateful” we don’t need “those spots.” To now realizing that abled people should not be happy they don’t have a disability and pity those who do. We should recognize that everyone has the right to accessibility in this country and that includes their transportation. We have a right to independence. Anything that allows a person that independence and accessibility to the rest of the world deserves respect because people fought for those rights and the allowance of those spots, those bathroom stalls, that braille on the sign, the talking ATM, the lifts in the public pool, the policies in the schools and the laws in the workplace. They’re well-deserved and necessary.

As you read my very mixed up feelings on aborting disabled children. Where I spend a lot of time arguing about families who consider abortion because their not prepared to raise a disabled child and not talking about the bigger societal issue at hand: it is even more difficult to raise a disabled child because of cultural and institutional roadblocks. While it may be difficult in general, if there were more services, accessibility and the stigma of disability was different, raising a child who doesn’t fit the norm could be very different. Choices might be different.

While I talked about love and sex for people with disabilities. But without ever asking myself why I felt (or “we” as a society) think it’s our business to talk about the sex lives of “different” people. Why being an “other” makes your very private business our topic of discussion. You should not ask a transgendered person if they are post-op and how they have sex, you shouldn’t ask a queer person about what they do either. What a person does in their own bedroom is their own business. So unless they want to share it, don’t act like it makes sense to ask. It might be different from what you do, but c’mon you wouldn’t want people thinking about what you do all the time would you?

As I questioned the treatment of the disabled in an airport and hated on hate crimes. 

While I learned about how people with disabilities can see the world far far better than I can.

And I realize that kids with disabilities just want what any other kid wants; to be accepted by society through what they know: superheros and toys. And what a difference this can make for their self-esteem and identity development.

I learned about how things that seem like great ideas on the surface, are actually really shaming of people with certain handicaps. Because in a society where “ability” is “good,” we are seeing an “inability” as “bad.”

And questioned the idea of “walking in someone’s shoes.” Because you can’t. If you’re not disabled, you’re not disabled. You don’t have to know what it feels like through a charade. You don’t feel the stereotypes and the stigma and the everyday experience. We are saying “well all blind people have the same experience being blind so now I get it too!” We don’t know what each individual has been through. You don’t need a charade to be empathic and respectful. You can be an advocate without a blindfold or earplugs. You can stand up because you’re a person who gets treated like a person and often an individual with a disability is treated like a disability.

I learned about crazy innovations that are rocking the amputee world

I just learned a lot about isms in general, and how we like to categorize people because it’s what society, history, media and people say we should do.

I learned about how these generalizations destroy our ability to see people as people, instead we see them as black, white, Asian, Muslim, deaf, Mormon, gay, transgendered, mentally disabled, bipolar, a single parent, male, an immigrant, elderly, a woman, wealthy, a teenage mother, Korean, a non-English speaker, African, overweight, diabetic, anorexic, Jewish, suicidal…

And then make decisions that they are happy, needy, angry, loud, independent, foreign, frail, strong, emotional, promiscuous, dangerous, a criminal, greedy, stupid, a genius, lazy, a terrorist, crazy, unwell, fat, skinny, sick, lost…

…without ever bothering to get to know them

I learned these assumptions are dangerous. They hurt people. They hurt society. They keep people down and others up. They prevent children from learning, they keep adults from learning. They keep individuals from reaching their potential: jobs, rights, homes, education, happiness. Ableism is one ism in a world filled with isms. Full of categories made up of assumptions, slurs, microaggressions and hierarchies. I learned this is a problem. I learned that maybe the only way to solve this is through education and communication.

And I learned that I have hope.

Thank you,

Kenzi Locks
Masters in Science of Social Work, Class of 2014.
Columbia University

Would You Like Some Snakes, Crystals and Bionic Limbs With Your Amputation?

This is the coolest thing I’ve seen since starting this project. Also, considering this will be my last post about an article/blog post/etc. I this this is beyond fitting.

Sophie de Oliveira Barata’s Alternative Limb Project is making prosthetics for amputees like I don’t think anyone has ever seen.  For example, take notice of the photo on the left here. That green snake is part of that prosthetic, weaving in and out.

So why is this so amazing? The idea of prosthetics usually are obviously to use (if it’s a leg mostly) and to make it look like the amputee is not an amputee. It’s to keep them fitting in with the “able” population. It’s to prevent stares and questions and promote assimilation. It’s to hide stumps and missing parts. By Ms. de Oliveira is certainly changing that. “It’s drawing attention to their disability in a positive way…Rather than people seeing what’s missing, it’s about what they’ve got.” After all, how many people do you know who have a green snake wrapped around their arm all the time?

It’s giving amputees the ability to show their personality along with their “disability,” instead of the concept that their disability should be hidden. It’s saying “yeah obviously a snake is not crawling out of my actual arm…but here’s something  I have that you don’t.”  This arm’s owner said it makes her feel powerful and sexy. It’s taking control of why you’re being stared at. “I’d rather people just asked me outright how I lost my arm. This is so out there — like I’m wanting you to look at me — that it makes people feel OK to ask questions.”

Now the project is looking into more functional limbs. No not just usable ones…but one’s with purposes that no regular limb could perform. Limbs with Swiss army knife arms with fold-out tools, nightclubbing legs that light up to music, and cooking arms with different attachments for kitchen appliances are in the works.

So if this became the norm, that amputees could get these customized Inspector-Gadget-like bionic limbs, that don’t expect them to look like they don’t have an amputation, what could this change? I think the outside world, the “abled” would stop seeing this as a “disability” but as something different, something better. Disabilities like this would stop being something to stare at, whisper about. I mean, how could you pity someone with a speaker-system-esque leg or an Cleopatra-like snake arm? It looks fabulous. It looks empowering. It looks like she has a choice that is not either showing off a stump or a plasticky version of a regular looking leg. It confronts all sorts of personal beliefs, from disgust to pity for the disabled. It screams independence to combat the cultural belief that the disabled are in need of constant aide from the abled and the belief that they should be hiding this. It takes away the idea of amputation as some sort of deformity and replaces it with the chance to be more creative and exert one’s personality. It forces people to see that the disabled have personalities outside being a disabled person. Who could look at this muscular robot-like leg here and only see this veteran as a disabled person? Instead he becomes a super-hero-like man. He becomes strong. It’s exciting. This could really be a chance to change ingrained perceptions.

“Disability is a Diversity”

I’m going to discuss some quotes of this article by Aeman Ansari here, because it’s a great one. Please read the entire article though! So quotes are in italics, my thoughts are in bold, just to keep it simple.

The common negative associations people have with wheelchairs and other images of disability are just one side of the story…this is why it’s imperative for disabled people to articulate their different experiences, so disabled people will no longer be seen as “incapable of contributing to society.”

“I think disabled bodies are often seen as lacking,” he said. “Disability is always framed as a [tragic] experience.”

This is extremely true. Very rarely do we expect people with disabilities to take pride in their body or mind. We see them as having a “broken part” that keeps them from being like “the rest of us.” We see disability as a separation, a tragedy, an impairment. 

 

“According to the story of disability, disabled people certainly lead a life full of tragedy and/or pathology, to those around us as well as the state,” Loree Erickson said. “Society and its images say we need to jump out of our problematic bodies into one normative privileged body, [that] disability is something that should be prevented or gotten rid of.”

Constantly, people expect others with disabilities to try to “fix” their problem. The blind can sometimes get surgeries, the deaf can get implants, there are prosthetics, etc. People think that the only way for the disabled to have a “normal” life is to be cured. 

“The problem is not with the disabled person, the problem is the environment. Disability is diversity, not a deficit.”

If we were to look at someone in a wheelchair, someone who can’t walk, like we were to see someone who can’t whistle, can curl their tongue, has blonde hair, etc. Just see it as a difference, not a deficit, there could be major change. 

While the event did help to break down boundaries and stigmas attached to disability, Willis said that in her utopia there would be no “access” groups and students would get what they need. She said that she hopes events like this are the key to one day living in that accessible utopia she dreams about.

Accessibility and accommodation is not the same thing. If we create accessibility in the first place, there would be no need for accommodation. [So] it’s not about integrating disabled people to non-disabled places, it’s about providing integrated services,” said Heather Willis.

This article breaks down the difference between “accessibility” and “accommodation.” As I’ve written about before and probably will again, this society was not built around people with different needs. It was made for the walking, talking, seeing and hearing. It was built for the “abled.” Yet, if society was built with more accessibility, the buildings, the transportation, the bathrooms, the parking lots, the crosswalks, the schools, well you get it…there would not be a need to “accommodate” because everyone would already be fine accessing everything. Of course, as said, this is a “Utopia.” We don’t see disability as just a difference between people, we see it as a problem that needs to be fixed or accommodated. Therefore,  we usually build things and then alter them as an afterthought for accessibility. We do it because laws require it, to “accommodate” the disabled. “The Disabled.” This big group of people with “problems” that need to be fixed or accommodated.

I feel that if more people were exposed to this article, while it would be eye-opening, I don’t think it would change beliefs. This is an overt cultural problem that we have. We, as a society, believe being differently-abled makes you inept. I feel especially in the United States, we are expected to excel and anything that could prevent you from excelling in any way, means something is wrong with you.

Being Physically Disabled in New York City

 

I don’t know about you but my life pretty much revolves around commuting. I spend upwards of 12 hours a week on the subway and at least an hour or two on the bus. Cabs are expensive and traffic is unpredictable but 97% of the time my subway gets me where I need to go fairly quickly for $2.50 (although I will continue to be nostalgic for the $2.25 days.)

However, for the wheelchair-bound the subway is not a particularly effective way of commuting. Firstly, there are nearly 500 subway stations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island. Now I decided to guess how many were handicap-accessible (please keep in mind that these subways are usually accessed by a LOT of stairs…so no elevator, you’re not getting in there in a wheelchair.) I decided probably half.
Yeah it’s 89. 89 stations with proper ramps and elevators out of nearly 500.

According to Disabilities Network of New York City, there are an estimated 60,000 people who are wheelchair-bound living here. (Not to mention, the 300,000 people who are blind or have impaired vision, and the 10% of the entire NYC population who is deaf or hard-of-hearing.) How is this permitted? Since almost all NYC subway stations were built before 1990 before the Americans with Disabilities Act came to be, they weren’t built with accessibility (Not shocking that they were built before, since the first station opened in 1904.) Some older stations have been updated and all new stations are accessible. However, I don’t think the public is aware of the sheer numbers we’re talking about here. Also I don’t think the public is aware of where these stations are located. So I put a bright blue dot on it.

In the Bronx, there are 10 accessible stations. Just 10. In Harlem there’s only 5! Brooklyn has huge chunks mission. So let’s then look at a poverty map shall we?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notice anything similar here? Talk about the intersection of classism and ableism  (not to mention racism.) Live in a poverty-stricken area, you’re more likely to be unable to take your subway. I can give the benefit of the doubt that there are higher traffic areas etc. but these numbers are still pretty staggering to me.

While this is some pretty overt institutional classism…it’s also some serious covert classism and racism. I’d hope that if more people were aware of this issue there’d be more outcry to put in proper elevators and ramps for the 60,000 people who definitely need them for quick transportation around the city.

Another Observation

This weekend I went to the zoo. While I was there, a group of three older people with Downs syndrome and their caretakers were at the dingo exhibit too. Well, one of the women seemed very concerned that the dingo would try to get to her. The caretaker did a good job helping her calm down. My first thought here was how cute this group was.

And then I realized that I normally wouldn’t look at a group of people in their mid-60s (estimation) as “cute.”

So what is it about certain disabilities that makes people  seem “cute?” Therefore, potentially not taking them seriously as adults in our society.

I did a lot of thinking about this, because for someone who’s been blogging about ableism for the last few months, I should really have noticed more about my own perceptions. So then my mind went to a story I was told recently by a family member. When she was pregnant years and years ago, she refused an amnio (the test that tells pregnant women if their child has Down’s syndrome.) She’d miscarried several times, and didn’t want to risk the test. The doctor berated her because what if her baby had Down’s syndrome. When my relative said she was more concerned about maintaining the pregnancy than knowing about disabilities because it wouldn’t change her mind the doctor went off. Her answer was “babies with Downs may look cute for awhile but look at them when they’re grown up.”

Now the list for things wrong with that sentence is extensive but then again, I’m over here thinking older people with Down’s syndrome are cute too. I think it was really the wonder about the animal, but still it’s taking someone’s disability and sort of patronizing it in my mind. Something to think about definitely.

Boston

I’d like to extend my heartfelt thoughts to the people of Boston and their friends and family on what has been a tragic week.

But this is still the Ableism Project…and one thing that I think disturbed people (or maybe it’s just me) so much about these attacks, is the amount of amputations that were supposedly needed. Now, I don’t think there’s been a number explained, nor do I think we need one. But I’d just like to use this moment to point out how quickly a person can go from “abled” to “disabled.” It can happen in a second (and I’d assume usually does). So when you see someone who is physically disabled…just remember how some people wind up in these positions. Tragedy strikes and it can be permanent. It can truly happen anywhere at anytime.

I’d also like to take this moment to examine another perspective. Now, whenever there’s a mass shooting it’s been exhaustively discussed that the shooter is mentally ill etc. and was somehow deficient and “evil” because of it. In reality, someone who is disabled is far more likely to be the victim of a crime than the criminal. However, with a bombing there’s the tendency to lean more toward the ism of assuming this was the work of some Middle Eastern terrorist, because we all know the attack that our minds first go to when this sort of thing happens and who was responsible. I’d just like everyone to take a step back and a hard look at their thinking if this is where their mind is going. Assumptions are hurtful, particularly those that blame an entire people.

Just please don’t rush to conclusions because while everything is easier and less scary when we have a face to blame, we don’t need a race to blame. People of any race, creed or ethnicity can be hateful and hurtful, there isn’t a monopoly on that.

The Importance of Identity

Today I’m not going to talk about an article, although I’m sure there are plenty of them about this. Today I’d like to just talk about what I’ve noticed since starting this project.

A very large portion of social work school (particularly the class I’m writing this blog for) is about looking at these -isms (racism, classism and of course ableism, etc.) and looking at the system itself and how it’s affecting those in the categories that have been created.

Last night, in my -isms class, I brought up the “hierarchy of isms.” I’m sure this is a term that’s been used before, but I’m not sure where. I feel that in this society as well as the little society that is my social work school, this is a very real concept. Certain groups are oppressed more, certain isms are taken more seriously than others, the hate crimes are more publicized, the microaggressions are noticed more. Look at sexism. Half the population is societally defined as female (I’m not going to go down the heteronormativeness path of that here, because this is a project on ableism so for all intents and purposes, half the population is considered female by society.) And yet we have astronomical sexism. Look at what my paycheck will be when compared to a man in the same job. Look at the make up of government jobs and CEOs despite the fact that more women are college graduates. Look at how we socialize girls. Look at how we socialize boys. Look who’s being called “so smart!” at age three versus “so pretty!” Look at what happens in bars or just walking down the street. Look at the government leaders who are debating “legitimate rape” and debate what a woman can do to her body. And that’s half the population. Yet, when women complain and fight against it they’re called “high-maintenance” “bitchy” or better yet “she needs to get laid.”

And that’s against half our population.

It’s legal to discriminate against women in so many arenas. It’s in the media, but it’s legal.

If this discrimination is allowed for half the population, I consider it “low” on the hierarchy of what society as a whole deems important. (I’m NOT arguing that this is ok. It’s not. I’m just grading based on how I personally view society.)

Racism is a big one. I’d say 65% of what is discussed in social work school is power and privilege, usually based largely in race. On the hierarchy I think this is harder to place. Probably because I’m coming from a place where I hear about it all of the time, mainly for the first time. So it’s front and center for me. For most white people, it’s not. Most believe racism doesn’t affect people’s everyday lives, no matter the skin color or race identity. Minorities (and social work students now) have a very different point of view on this.

I’m going to go back to ableism now.

When I talk about the “hierarchy” I’m by no means talking about “what’s worse” because every ism is a travesty for our society. It’s all “I’m in, you’re out. I’m better, you’re worse” When I talk about the hierarchy, I’m referring to the stories and the personal pain most people feel at some time in their lives…sometimes nearly all the time. I know you’re not all social workers or something like that. So I’ll define “microaggressions” because I know I had no idea what that was before I walked in this building.

Microagression usually involves demeaning implications and other subtle insults against minorities, and may be perpetrated against those due to gender, sexual orientation, and ability status.According to Pierce, “the chief vehicle for proracist behaviors are microaggressions. These are subtle, stunning, often automatic, and nonverbal exchanges which are ‘put-downs’ of blacks by offenders” Microaggressions may also play a role in unfairness in the legal system as they can influence the decisions of juries. (Wikipedia) 

Yet, we would normally consider being called a nigger, kike, chink, cripple or whatever else to their face worse than some microaggression. Yet microaggressions happen everyday.

So our worst stories alongside our everyday-treatment… being told that you obviously wanted to be raped based on your clothing choices vs. being paid less everyday because you happen to have a vagina. Both are sexism. Yet there’s a hierarchy.

That vs. people avoiding sitting next to a Muslim woman on the bus because of their hijab

vs. people rallying to get the man in the turban off the plane

vs. firing someone for being gay

vs. calling a gay person’s partner their “friend” to make it more comfortable for you

vs. complaining about grants to help handicapped people modify their homes so they can use their own bathroom

vs. beating a mentally handicapped homeless person

vs. calling people “welfare queens”

vs. asking an Asian-American person or any Minority-American-looking person “Where are you from?” Because obviously they couldn’t possibly be born here.

vs. judging any couple that doesn’t fit into the same race, religion, gender-expected box that society tells us is “normal”

So what’s the worst one?

Better question: Who the hell cares?

They all exist, they all happen, some end up in the news, some are applauded in some communities. They all exist and they’re all tragic.

But really now, back to ableism.

Let’s be realistic. Right here. Right now. Let’s just say you see this person walk into your workplace.

What’s the first thing you notice?

Or this person

Well you get the idea.

One of the biggest issues for “handicapped” people is those who are so visibly handicapped are seen solely for their handicap. And if you’re sitting there thinking “well the first thing people notice about me is my height! So that’s not so bad!” Let’s think about how fast people get over that and get to know you. Yet, how long would you consider this person the “Downs Syndrome guy” or the “Blind Lady?” Let’s think about how much of their perceived identity is wrapped up in their disability. Why is it that we assume that they have less of an identity than those who are “abled?” Why do we see the one “handicapped” inability and not all of their abilities?

Because it makes them “other” and “different” and unlike “us.”

Think back to elementary school, middle school…think of the kid who could barely read out loud in class. Think of the giggles and stares they got.

Think about the kids that were taken out of class for remedial help. Everyone knew who they were.

Think of who went to the nurse to take meds at lunch or even who went for an inhaler before gym.

Think of the kid with the stutter and the kid with the hearing aid whose voice was very unlike yours.

The kids who spent a lot of regular time with the school psychologist.

Because I can remember who these kids were and being really glad I wasn’t like “them.” That’s how we’re raised. There’s an  us and a them and we know what side of the line we want to be on.

Think back decades ago and the institutions that housed these people, these “other” human beings. The shame a family went through for creating someone who was “other.” The lobotomies. The mental hospitals that used people like lab rats, that abused them. The people who denied their own children.

Think of the parents who get their children facial reconstruction surgery so they don’t look like they have Downs Syndrome now. It’s the same thing. It’s covering up who someone is so they don’t look or act like the “other” but like the “norm.” The fact that people feel this is necessary for respect is the problem here. Because the first thing you saw in the first picture was that they had Downs Syndrome. But if they didn’t look like that, you’d have to see them as human first, not handicapped first.

Maybe some people who are minorities will understand this. They have been seen for their skin color, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, gender identity, etc. first and foremost. They might know how some people never get over it and stack all their judgments on it. They recognize the covert and overt forms of institutional, cultural and personal -isms that are used against them.

Some handicapped people can stand up for themselves and fight for fairer treatment. Some find advocates in family and friends. Some find allies. Some are stuck saying nothing at all, because they’re physically unable or because with this hierarchy people don’t see that what’s hurting them is real. Because in comparison, “there are bigger deals out there.” Because “oh well, they’re so blessed they don’t realize how discriminated against they are.” It’s not front and center in the media like swatstikas on a temple or nooses tied in trees, the abortion debate, the gay marriage debate. It’s not considered “as bad” to be ableist as it is to be racist or homophobic. Maybe that’s because in this country we like to pretend that if you work hard enough you can do “anything.” Now anyone who’s taken a sociologic class will know that the American Dream is dead here…but if someone is plugged into this belief they can look at a handicapped person and say “well they’re not as able…so it’s fair.” This is could be called survival of the fittest here, in a horrible way. We see what someone can’t do, can’t accomplish without aid, over all the amazing things they can do and the personality, the identity they have.

But hey, this is the society we live in.

Adversity and Home Modification Money

So here’s the article today. In the United Kingdom, money is being allocated for disabled people to modify their homes. In a world that’s built for abled-people, aside from a few braille signs next to bathrooms and a ramp here and there, why shouldn’t people have homes that are shaped just for them? Granted, it’s not a lot of money, but it’s something and it seems there’s been money allocated before. However, what I want to talk about more are the comments that are on the article. Some are positive (thankfully). And of course there are those that sound like:

“And the financial help for the ordinary working taxpayer who faces increasing costs of living, lower wages and hence declining standard of living is???????????????????”

“Wonder if this will go the genuinely deserving or the fat lazy types I see and know of you know the ones the Disabled chariot” driving bone idle ones.”

So there we are folks. Where’s the help to make the houses of “ordinary [normal]” people nicer? Hope this money doesn’t just go to the lazy fakers!

That is ableism.

So let’s talk about that shall we?

Why don’t we start with the cold hard facts (in the U.S. because while these comments and article come from the U.K., this blog does not, and I know know these opinions are certainly shared by Americans.

• 21% of the population age 16+ with a disability are below the poverty level. 10% higher than the nondisabled
  
• 72% – Percentage of disabled people 16+ are not in the labor force. 53% higher than nondisabled people.
• $18,865 – Median earnings of 16+ r with a disability, as compared with $28,983 for the population without a disability.

Anyone else seeing a pattern here yet?

Why don’t we think about when an abled person looks for a place to live? There are housing codes right? Clean water, heat, no mold, etc. that real estate is supposed to abide by. For a disabled person?

• How about doors that stick and need to be pushed harder to open.
• What about narrow hallways?
• Have you been inside a New York City apartment bathroom? You can barely fit a standing person in there, let alone a wheelchair.
• What about doorbells? And telephones? And smoke and carbon monoxide alarms? Deaf people are missing out on a lot of things we expect people to hear. They make special ones.
• How about the showers and baths that are made for the disabled? They’re not cheap.
• Have you ever tried making an omelette on the stove while sitting in a chair? How about putting your clothes away in the closet? Getting food from the top shelf of the refrigerator?
• When was the last time you went into a regular two story home with an elevator?
• This is the short list.

So in knowing the statistics on employment/income of the disabled and the potential modifications we’re talking about here, what do you think? Again, I think it’s like the parking space post….are you really jealous of a small amount of money per person, when the fact is, their world is just not built for people like them, but maybe at least their house could be. I believe those fighting against it who think they are somehow worthier of these stipends are being overtly as well as others probably being covertly ableist. They see themselves as “ordinary” and “hard working” and assume that people with disabilities are neither ordinary nor hard-working. They assume they are not facing the same wage cuts and taxes. This is the divide of ableism.

Is Finding Nemo Actually A Lot About Mental Illness?

With the announcement of “Finding Dory” (YES!) This is an interesting article to look at.

Those Who Show Up

“The world is run by those who show up…and I’m showing up.”

Students in a Staten Island middle school had a performance by the Deaf rapper, Sean 

Forbes. This was his message for them. Forbes grew up with (hearing) musician parents and decided to come to the school because it’s the only middle school with ASL as a second language program for hearing students. The children asked the rapper questions in ASL, but it wasn’t just the language that he wanted to open them to, but to Deaf culture and an awareness of disabilities.

While this sounds like an amazing program, I can’t help but think it’s sad that it’s one of a few. Supposedly the children become fluent in the language and often perform sign language songs at holiday concerts. This sounds like a great concept, but again it’s the inclusion of one small group in one disability. Every little bit counts, but when you look at school budgets being slashed across the country, I don’t see this disability-awareness and inclusiveness spreading across the country any time soon.

However, the idea that this wasn’t just learning to communicate with a group, but exploring another culture and in a setting that appreciates that culture, that could spread. This is an overt appreciation for a community that has long been considered “unable.” Showing that they have major contributions to make. If more people saw things from that point of view, opinions could change. This could break down ableism significantly.

As more the Deaf being able to make music…well we all know Beethoven was Deaf right?