An open letter to the artist community (from a disabled artist)
I’m not really someone who likes making PSA type posts, as I like to keep my existence mainly quiet but with some consideration I’d like to cast my stone in the water today to talk about the entitlement of able bodied artists towards disabled folk.
I want to express foremost that I AM disabled, I AM an artist. I’ve been doing art since I was 9, and have been taking it as a serious career possibility since I was 10. I’ve been doing this for a long time, and while I might not be in the same business as many other artists, I absolutely get the right to talk about our own community.
I’ve gotten into the ID scene more recently than I’ve been an artist. I am not a perfect product of IDers, but I am someone I consider knowledgeable on the subject and want to share part of my insight for other artists, young and old.
IDs, or image descriptions, are text additions onto a post that describe what is going on in the image or video. These IDs are here so people who have visual impairments, who cannot see the image, or otherwise do not understand what is going on can gain access to the post and understand what is going on.
IDs ARE necessary, because not everyone on the internet is able bodied, and disabled people shouldn’t be excluded from enjoying the posts or art we enjoy. If you think disabled people don’t belong on the internet, or that adding IDs are a waste of time, or make a post look ‘ugly’, you are ableist.
They are valuable tools that disabled people need, and as a community we should all work towards adding more IDs to our posts, or reblogging posts with IDs in the notes.
Many of us are not asking you not to post ever unless a post as an ID, and we’re not asking everyone to start adding identifications (though it would be deeply appreciated!), we’re asking you to be more conscious of these usual tools so that other parts of the community who are otherwise excluded from your normal posts, can be included!
Okay, great! Cool! We know what an ID is, and why they’re important, but what’s the tie into art?
Very glad you asked! You see, most art is a visual medium that has traditionally been only accessible to those who can see it. Thanks to the internet, art has become a more widespread medium that anyone can enjoy!
That’s why, in more recent years, accessibility blogs have been reblogging art with image descriptions so that those who might not be able to access art in its image form, can still enjoy what an artist is trying to communicate with visuals.
IDs on art can be VERY helpful tools, especially for people who might consume similar content to you, but can’t always enjoy the exact same content as you due to outside factors.
It’s why, as an artist, you should be conscious about posting art, or reblogging others' art.
Now, like above I am NOT saying you cannot post art ever unless you have an image ID. However I am saying that when you believe in full truth, that you as an artist are entitled to being reblogged for your time and effort, you are disrespecting several ideas.
You are disrespecting the idea that people OWE you something, when they don’t. As artists we often need as much attention as we can get on our art if we want to make big money off our work. However, as artists we are also often freelance.
We have no employers besides ourselves, and our occasional clients. When we offer our work to others, our clients do not owe us to accept our services. They are entitled to say no. It’s the same in reblogs.
You are offering your service (art), and if a client for whatever reason doesn’t want to reblog your art. They don’t have to. You are not entitled to telling people what they do with their own autonomy.
Additionally, when you are not providing accessibility to your art & are demanding/begging for people to reblog your art over liking it, you are digging your own grave here.
No one OWES you that reblog, but when you are purposefully excluding an entire community from your post, you are making it harder for people who DO want to reblog your post.
As someone who is disabled, I have very limited spoons. I take it out of my day to go online, and spend 5-20 minutes writing up an image description for posts I want to reblog. I cannot work endlessly reblogging posts with my own image IDs, but in most cases I have to make my own IDs because no one else has.
Not every artist is able bodied, but a large majority of you are. It often takes much less effort and energy than it does for someone like me, or my friends, to make a short image description.
If you are unwilling to do that bare minimum, or are unable to at that moment, you do not get to feel entitled to people reblogging your work. You do not get to shame your other community members, or your clients, for not reblogging your work ever. Period.
I am tired of having to hear people complain over and over again, shaming their fellow artists for being the ‘weak backbone’ of their community for not reblogging each other's art. I am tired, I am disabled and I’m an artist: and I need you all to give a damn about adding image descriptions to your art/reblogging posts of art with image Ids.
