Unity Against Ableism Is Punk

[disabledunitypunk]

What is unitypunk?

Unitypunk is a disabled subculture encompassing other movements like cripplepunk, neuropunk, madpunk, and pluralpunk, as well as other movements like the anti-psych, pro-delusion, and pro-self-diagnosis movements. It's focus is on building a single, disability-justice-focused coalition; a united face against all kinds of ableism

To this end, the movement rejects gatekeeping of terms and talking about experiences based on having the "right" diagnoses or the right "kinds" of diagnoses. It is focused on assuming good faith, on people's similar experiences being shared in turn as a way of saying "I understand, and stand by you", on pulling up chairs rather than building up walls.

This is partly in response to small but vocal minorities within the community who insist that their experiences are entirely unique to their diagnosis or type of disability, and that disabled folks of other kinds are not welcome in their conversations about disability justice. This flies in the face of intersectional anti-ableism, and as I and other physically disabled neurodivergent people have noted, often leaves us unable to talk about a full half of our experiences.

The foundation of unitypunk is that the brain and body are inextricably interconnected - all physical organs that are interdependent on one another - and that while for some the symptoms of physical and psychological disabilities may be entirely separate or different, for others they are impossible to differentiate or functionally the same. The gut is the second brain. The body keeps the score (of trauma). Where in your body do you hold your emotions? The mind-body connection. All commonly used phrases when talking about disability, all illustrating this connection.

A psychological condition may be physically disabling. Autism can cause significant mobility issues. Anxiety can cause cardiac issues. Something like agoraphobia may cause someone to become as effectively housebound as someone with mobility issues and an inaccessible door. A physical condition may also be psychologically disabling. Absorption issues in the gut, particularly in regards to vitamins D and B12, can wreak havoc on the brain. Thyroid and adrenal/endocrine issues are one of the first things tested when seeking a mental health diagnosis. And of course, chronic illness can cause depression, anxiety, and trauma. Whether direct or indirect, the effects are the same; a complexity to the manifestation of symptoms that cannot be neatly squared away into little boxes.

This movement recognizes that only by recognizing and celebrating the breadth and depth of that complexity will we be able to achieve true disabled community and solidarity. It prioritizes a united front over personal differences. You don't have to like the disabled person next to you, but we all have to put aside any petty squabbles and fight for each other, or go down together. This includes being intersectional and inclusive of all other identities, whether you understand them or not. This means not disparaging or writing off identities, and judging people for their actions, not their labels. It also means, while it's fine to make spaces focused on a specific aspect or kind of disability, that it's important to recognize that real life experiences are messy and won't always respect neat lines being drawn. This is especially true of the experiences of physically disabled neurodivergent people, who are multiply marginalized and deserve to have our experiences heard and respected.

The most important things you can do here are to talk, and to *listen*. This account, this *movement*, is just a starting line. The end goal is total disabled liberation, and the only way we will get there is marching together.

[disabledunitypunk]

Mod intros, since they'll get lost otherwise

https://at.tumblr.com/disabledunitypunk/mod-intro-currently-i-am-the-only-mod-though-i/fkmob5ufb2v4

Hi I’m Cloud, another mod on this blog. We/I are plural and use singular and plural personal pronouns interchangeably. The basics: We are

[zmpl]

i need to complain about the term “survivors of suicide” because babygirl you did not survive anything. your loved one died by suicide but it was not an act committed upon you. if anything the people who survived suicide are those who attempted suicide and lived.

[zmpl]

i went down a rabbit hole of reading people’s posts in a public group for parents whose child recently died by suicide. i was naive to think it would be touching, moving stories about their children and providing bereavement support to each other.

instead it was anger and shame towards their child. the death is seen as the most tremendous burden to place onto someone else, rather than someone’s desperate escape from pain. the gofundme pages seldom ever mentioned the child and instead focused on the parents needing support due to an unspoken tragedy. one mother posted about her 11 year old son saying, “the only person to blame for this is him.” an 11 year old.

this is not meant to police the grief process because grief can really mess with your mind. but there’s this bigger issue about the ways we as a collective society talk about people who have died by suicide. if we cannot have any level of decorum when talking about our loved ones who passed away, how could we expect anyone in the future feeling the same way to reach out for help?

[zmpl]

very good tags. no matter if they’re alive or dead, suicidal people are continuously decentered in topics related to their experience, which perpetuates the ongoing oppression faced by suicidal people.

[thisis-suicidism]

[ID: screenshot of tags reading: #the recentering of grievers reinforces suicidism. the literature almost exclusively acknowledges the impact suicide has on others #and in turn grievers who are in a suicide-oppressive culture are asked to help shape literature through focus groups/interviews etc #and they’re incredibly biased bc of the death and there’s no other alternative framework that professionals (NOT critical suicidologists #like doctors/scientists/psychs will endorse. they aren’t willing to reengage in the topic without capitulating to established claims with #minimal basis#I’m sorry this is very annoying this is my area of research lmfao /end ID]

This is suicidism.

[support-for-the-suicidal]

I think what a lot of people don't understand about harm reduction for suicide (and self harm, too) is that people who believe in/practice it, don't want people to commit suicide/self harm, but we recognize that forcing them to stop and stripping them of their autonomy causes more harm than good. Contrary to popular belief, studies have proven that forced institutionalization actually increases suicide risk. Harm reductionists are not encouraging suicide/self harm, nor do we want people partake in those behaviors, but rather than forcing people to stop, we provide safety/support. For example, harm reduction for suicide might look like listening to a suicidal person or helping them cope, without calling the cops/psychiatric system. Harm reduction for self harm might look like education on how to self harm safer or find alternative coping mechanisms, again without calling cops/psychiatric system. (These will vary from person to person.) I think it's a common misconception that harm reductionists want/encourage risky behavior when actually, we just recognize what works and what doesn't and still allow people autonomy.

This was a stream of consciousness piece so it might not be super cohesive, but feel free to ask questions/add on.

[wheelie-sick]

sometimes harm reduction for suicide is self harm. it's greatly preferable that someone gives themself a temporary injury than permanently takes their life. one will heal, the other won't.

[disabledunitypunk]

Also, if someone cannot be kept alive, I always think - better they don't have to be alone when they go. Like, if you go to talk someone down and don't succeed... at least someone was there who cared? Maybe you made even one moment easier?

Idk both as someone who has been suicidal and someone who has had loved ones who are/were suicidal, that is meaningful to us.

[zmpl]

i need to complain about the term “survivors of suicide” because babygirl you did not survive anything. your loved one died by suicide but it was not an act committed upon you. if anything the people who survived suicide are those who attempted suicide and lived.

[zmpl]

i went down a rabbit hole of reading people’s posts in a public group for parents whose child recently died by suicide. i was naive to think it would be touching, moving stories about their children and providing bereavement support to each other.

instead it was anger and shame towards their child. the death is seen as the most tremendous burden to place onto someone else, rather than someone’s desperate escape from pain. the gofundme pages seldom ever mentioned the child and instead focused on the parents needing support due to an unspoken tragedy. one mother posted about her 11 year old son saying, “the only person to blame for this is him.” an 11 year old.

this is not meant to police the grief process because grief can really mess with your mind. but there’s this bigger issue about the ways we as a collective society talk about people who have died by suicide. if we cannot have any level of decorum when talking about our loved ones who passed away, how could we expect anyone in the future feeling the same way to reach out for help?

[zmpl]

very good tags. no matter if they’re alive or dead, suicidal people are continuously decentered in topics related to their experience, which perpetuates the ongoing oppression faced by suicidal people.

[thisis-suicidism]

[ID: screenshot of tags reading: #the recentering of grievers reinforces suicidism. the literature almost exclusively acknowledges the impact suicide has on others #and in turn grievers who are in a suicide-oppressive culture are asked to help shape literature through focus groups/interviews etc #and they’re incredibly biased bc of the death and there’s no other alternative framework that professionals (NOT critical suicidologists #like doctors/scientists/psychs will endorse. they aren’t willing to reengage in the topic without capitulating to established claims with #minimal basis#I’m sorry this is very annoying this is my area of research lmfao /end ID]

This is suicidism.

[cabi-leodrann]

That's a big boy right here. Vent post I did a while ago, finally felt the courage to post it I hope it'll reach the people who needed to read this.

[weeladdabz]

This is more than worth the read.

[bisexualbaker]

Tips for baking with arthritis and other hand-related chronic pain

With some changes to techniques, a careful selection of kitchen tools, and tips from fellow bakers, the joy of baking can live on.

I luckily haven't had to deal with much chronic pain or hand pain yet, especially with regards to baking (crochet is another story). That said, these look like some pretty solid tips! There's also some in the comments section.

[bisexualbaker]

As this link nears five hundred notes, I'm just... very quietly touched at how many people are sharing it. Whether they need it themselves (or think they will someday), or know someone else who might need it, the fact that all of them are sharing the sentiment of "I want the people who love doing this thing to be able to keep doing the thing that they love" is... yeah. It makes me happy.

[krisrisk]

There is a graphic tablet for blind and visually impaired people?!?!!!

So, basically dotpad is a tablet with a screen made of physical dots (i'll call them beads for easier writing from here), and it can be connected to a device like an ipad (appparently). It then loads whatever picture is shown and converts it into black and white and THEN it displays the image by lifting some of the beads while the others stay down.

ID: The image shows a black electronic device with a tactile display on top, then a row of buttons and a Braille line on the bottom. /End ID

This is amazing? And so simple? Yet I would have never thought of it as a concept. And I have never heard of it? And there's ony limited information out there, like, i couldn't even find it on my usual online stores?

Can we please spread those news? Please?

[lifeafterpsychiatry]

A lot of people genuinely believe that permanent disability isn't a thing that happens to good people who work hard and make responsible choices. A lot of people genuinely think that we get the life we work for and deserve. And this is definitely part of the explanation for why ableism is so prevalent

[sadhoc]

idk how “the world wasn’t built for us” turned into an example of shitty autism discourse when ever since I got my wheelchair I’m taking -1hp every fifteen minutes as I encounter another obstacle that could have been easily avoided with better architecture, interior design, urban planning, or management logistics

[sadhoc]

the social model of disability was invented by wheelchair users

[sadhoc]

this post is absolutely 100% not saying "autistic people appropriated the social model" this is about how people dismiss the social model as only applying to the lowest of low support needs autistic people and mocking the idea that "the world isn't built for us" counts as a real disability, when like. the world isn't built for disabled people. that's just true.

[moonpool-system]

Your disability is real even if it's not causing you suffering 100% of the time. Your disability is real even if you don't bare your suffering constantly to the masses to gain acceptance. Your disability is real even if you wouldn't trade it for being abled. People on the outside cannot see you, and cannot see how the intricacies of your disabilities affect your daily life. They can't see all the details of what makes your disability real because, quite frankly, they don't want to. You needn't debase yourself at the altar of public opinion in order to treat your disability as real. You know your body and your mind best, and your experiences are real. You are allowed to understand and accommodate your bodies and minds for yourselves.

We don't need to be their suffering idol in order to be disabled.

[protectingtulpas]

they should make "fight something" a valid way to deal with chronic illness

[hopegrasping]

Despite popular belief, smelling bad is not actually a crime and should not be used to judge someone's morality or character. Lots of good people smell stank as hell. Real bad. You can acknowledge that bad smells are unpleasant, and how you might not want to be around someone who stinks (I choose to suck it up personally, just acknowledging it as an option!) without perpetuating a sentiment that causes disadvantaged people to face more harm and scrutiny. Stand up for stinky people I'm being so genuine rn.

[disabledunitypunk]

Hey, I want to talk about a thing that I feel like is not talked a lot about in the disabled community as a whole, at least not using this specific word:

It's okay to feel euphoric about your disabilities or about using accessibility tools/mobility aids/accomodations.

First of all, the entire world shames us for being disabled. They make us doubt if we're actually disabled or just "lazy" or "entitled". All the "that's just normal" to erase disabilities, sometimes even from other disabled people, really makes it hard to even feel valid as a disabled person.

But it IS a fundamental part of our identity. For many of us, it's not just about the socially constructed element due to lack of accommodations and ableism/disableism. It's also about the way we internally interface with the world, and with ourselves! It's about our fundamental state of being - both on a physical level, and on the mental level.

It's important to remember that any identity can cause euphoria when affirmed, not just gender, and that there doesn't need to be any sort of transition involved (cis people get euphoric/dysphoric too).

But I came to this specifically because of my experiences as a disabled genderqueer person. I realized, sitting in my wheelchair on the sidewalk, in my nightgown with a blanket around my legs, having finally given myself all the accommodations I needed and not holding myself to a single abled standard - I wasn't just happier because I was less tired or less in pain or struggling less, though those were all factors.

I was happier because I was letting myself be the visibly, recognizably disabled person I have been for a long time. I was not ashamed. I was (and am!) proud to be disabled. And to me, it felt almost the exact same way as gender euphoria. The real me was clear and evident and people were seeing me.

Now, to be clear, I'm very well aware that many disabilities are invisible. I think having people recognize that identity can be just as euphoric - much in the same way it can be for nonbinary people who present in gender-conforming ways to their agab! My example used being seen as visibly disabled just because that was my experience today. I'd LOVE for people to recognize the parts of me that still weren't visible as a part of who I am.

But... this is a big part of what disabilitypunk subculture movements. Cripplepunk, madpunk, neuropunk - it's about being openly crippled, neurodivergent, mad, disabled. It's about being proud to be so. And in my opinion, it's also about letting yourself be euphoric when people recognize your identity as a disabled person.

[flowercrowncrip]

I realised I’m using a new disability aid that some people on here might find helpful! It’s called a sixth digit from ActiveHands

ID 1: a photo of a Sixth Digit - a plastic stylus with a metal end with two loops to go over your fingers. ID 2: the same device worn on a hand with a wrist splint. The short stylus comes out perpendicular to the pinky finger /end IDs

It is like an extra finger to help people with poor hand function type and use touch screens. It slides on like a ring over your last two fingers so there’s no need to be able to grip it at all. They even work with my resting hand splints if anyone uses those.

VD: the sixth digit is used on a tablet to scroll the disability tag on tumblr /end VD

I’m struggling more and more with voice control at the moment because of my speech impairment so I’ve been looking for other ways of accessing technology and this has been huge. The biggest issue for me has been moving my arms accurately and reaching the device I’m using.

As well as touchscreens I’ve also used it for ATMs (I can type my own pin!), and as they come in pairs I’ve been able to use a mechanical typewriter (very slowly, but once I’m set up with pillows supporting my arms it’s weirdly easier for me than typing on an electric keyboard)

Sixth Digit 2 - The Active Hands Company

The sixth digit 2 is a wearable stylus for those with reduced hand function, enabling you to use touch screens and press buttons.

[disabilityaidpositivity]

Disability aid positivity post!

[identitty-dickruption]

when abled people talk about employability + disability I don't think they entirely understand the domino effect of unemployment/underemployment that can happen in a disabled person's life

the kinds of jobs that are considered 'unskilled' or 'entry level' are inaccessible for various reasons (e.g. involve having to stand up for long periods of time)

the time in your life when many people are expected to start working these entry level jobs is while you're still in school. the sheer exhaustion of school means that even when those jobs aren't completely inaccessible, many disabled people simply do not have the energy to do them

without any work experience, it's very hard to get work. the kinds of jobs that tend to have more accessible workplaces are either not entry-level or require a certain level of education to enter them. also without having gone through a hiring process before, it's very hard to even know what to expect from a job, which only creates additional barriers

even if you do have work experience, being disabled is not really taken as a valid reason to have gaps in your resume, which means you immediately look like a suspicious/risky hire to a HR department

disabled people, once we do have jobs, are more likely to be underemployed than abled people, meaning that we have fewer opportunities to demonstrate our skills in the workplace, and are less likely to be able to accumulate a back catalogue of good references to take with us in the 'getting a new job' mission. this itself keeps us underemployed

NOT to mention the fact that the exact same process can happen with respect to education (the being in special ed -> being able to go to university pipeline is basically non-existent. and if it is there, it is very hard to navigate). I'm not sure yet another 'employable skills program' can get us out of this one, chief

[disabledunitypunk]

Adding on that if you're on SSI and Section 8, after the first 20 dollars, your SSI will be reduced by 50 cents for every dollar you earn. Your section 8 is also reduced depending on housing authority - and where I live, it works out to 50 cents per dollar.

So essentially, for every dollar of labor I lose a dollar of benefits, making everything but 10 dollars cancel itself out until I earn more than my combined benefits, which would require more than 30 hours per week of work, which I am not capable of.

That's before you get into reduction of food stamps and cash assistance, which essentially means I'm earning NEGATIVE MONEY, or PAYING TO WORK, if I do so.

These programs are actively designed to oppress and impoverish, and it's not a coincidence that this feeds into the "welfare queen" narrative politicians like so much.

[randomslasher]

No matter what a post on tumblr tries to tell you, your moral and ethical stances will never be determined by what you reblog and what you scroll past. Don’t let manipulation tactics force you into doing anything you don’t want to do.

[randomslasher]

I find it very interesting to note the times in which this post has a sudden resurgence. It often follows very stressful, upsetting events, where a lot of “REBLOG THIS OR YOU SUCK” posts start appearing on this site. 

So I’ll say it again: it is okay if you come to tumblr to escape upsetting news. It is okay if you’re just here for fun and fandom. It is okay if you do not want to use your tumblr as a place to read about or spread the current events that are circulating. It is okay if you need a place to decompress and just relax. There are other ways to be involved in/support causes and you are allowed to set boundaries on social media platforms without it being indicative of your belief systems. 

Your beliefs, values, ethics, and moral stances are not determined by whether or not you reblog something. 

[mamoru]

sorry to be brave on the internet but I think food labels should list every single ingredient and that there should be harsher penalties for mislabeling and deceptive labeling

[turtlesandfrogs]

Seconded.