#include physically disabled people

[writing2changetheworld]

Exclusion of Marissa Bode from interviews for the Wicked movies is so explicit it's almost laughable.

Include a wheelchair user in your movies, but not interviews for said movies.

Ableism and performative activism at its finest.

[writing2changetheworld]

This is random sorry, and is probably gonna be pretty long, but I saw a couple of your posts about ableism/accessibility in Smosh videos, and I would like to recommend an improv comedy group that, in my opinion, treats disabilities extremely well. Shoot From The Hip is a London-based comedy group made up of four men in their 30s- Sam, Tom, Luke and AJ. I would like to clarify that while none of them have any physical disabilities, both Tom and Luke are diagnosed with ADHD (and I think one of the others might be too but idk), and Sam has said before that he has "a form of dyslexia", I don't know if he would consider himself disabled though (bc I've heard before that he doesnt identify as neurodivergent).

The first thing I want to mention is their subtitles. I think it was some time last year when a group of fans started transcribing the longform plays, and soon after they got in touch with SFTH and a subtitle team was created- fully made up of fans. Nowadays, every new video that comes out has subtitles available, and some are even colour coded to show who is saying what. Becuase it's fans who make the subtitles, there are often little references to other SFTH content sprinkled here and there and stuff, which not only is a delight to see (many people who don't need subtitles still turn them on just for that), it also makes SFTH more accessible for newer fans imo, as they get to know the inside jokes a lot quicker- a win-win! Most, if not all of the backlog of content has subtitles by now, and plenty have other languages available too.

Additionally, SFTH are very inclusive in the characters they play, whether that's including queer characters, neurodivergent characters, physically disabled characters, etc- they've said before (and I'm paraphrasing here) that all these types of people exist, so why shouldn't they be included in the stories they tell? And the best thing is, it doesn't feel forced at all- it's not like they sat down and decided that they would be inclusive, it just happens naturally. And specifically for disabilities- they don't treat them as a huge plot point, as if they come with special "superpowers", nor do they treat them like things that should be hushed and not spoken about, and shamed. They're never the butt of a joke, that's just the way the characters are. A good example I could give for this is from a recent play they put out on their patreon (so unfortunately it's behind a paywall), where a character has a stutter. If any jokes were made about it at all, they were light teasing from this character's brothers- and even then, he was able to stand up for himself and tell his brothers to stop (something I feel is pretty rare for disabled representation!). It was never even a big plot point, it was just another character trait. Another example is that several characters canonically have ADHD (it's probably most common bc their actors have it too lol), but every single time it's always just a quick mention, it doesn't become part of the plot and it's never made out that these characters are rejected, undesirable or anything- it's literally just a character trait, full stop. And lastly, there's a character who lost both his legs in a war (against alien-like Cubes)- but he's not treated with pity or anything, and later when he gets new Cube-forged prosthetics, he just wants to show them off to his husband- it isn't some kind of revelation that closes the gaps between humans and Cubes, it doesn't make the Cubes listen to him and stop the war- no, they make peace through the power of love instead xD.

Anyway, sorry for the long paragraphs, feel free to ignore this reccomendation if you want. Have a good day! ^-^

I may check them out.

One thing in particular you said that caught my eye though is none of them are physically disabled but play physically disabled characters. Some physically disabled people don't agree but I'm voicing my opinion: that's not okay. They agree we're human beings and we exist but they don't actually include us?

[writing2changetheworld]

Found myself realizing I was waiting for the "perfect" moment or time to talk about this. I don't believe in perfection so it's happening now.

Is any other physically disabled person bothered by Chanse McCrary (who's on Smosh)? (For reference I'm a non-ambulatory wheelchair user with Spina Bifida)

He's done multiple ableist bits pretending to be physically disabled on Try Not To Laugh. So much so that I can't watch certain TNTLs because his bits make me feel so upset and unsafe.

I even feel unsafe watching him in other Smosh videos and/or just thinking about him or being around him sometimes.

If I do watch a video with him, 9 times out of 10 it needs to show 4+ other people for me to feel safe.

And I honestly just have a bad feeling about him.

Is it just me?

Genuine questions

[writing2changetheworld]

Hello!

I'm pretty new to disability activism, specifically in the physical sense (much more familiar with activism surrounding neurodivergence), and am looking at ways of improving the restaurant I work at!

When you go out to eat, what do you look for in a restaurant? What do you consider accessible? With your recent post, what would you consider Less Than/Bare Minimum/Going Beyond?

First of all, welcome! The disability/disabled community is happy to have you!

I personally can't stand carpet. It can be SO DIFFICULT to roll on. Then if I can't get across the room without asking people to move their stuff and/or chairs, it's a problem. If I have to sit at the end of the table because my wheelchair would hit a table leg and absolutely not scoot in all the way, I'm annoyed. If the table is too tall ans goes to like right under my chin (like I can rest my chin on it without trouble) or it's so tall I literally can't reach the top, it's annoying and sometimes physically painful.

Less Than: there are no accessible parking spots or the one there is is on a hill and/or slanted, I can't even get into the building or the front entrance isn't accessible and the accessible entrance is in the back and i NEED able-bodied or nondisabled people to help me get in, tables too tall I can't reach the top, if the restroom is inaccessible (if I can't get into it or can't transfer from my chair to the toilet) - wheelchair users clearly weren't considered at all in the set up

Bare Minimum: there are 2 accessible parking spots on flat ground, there might be a bump at the front and I might need a little help from an able-bodied or nondisabled person but I can get in, there's carpet everywhere but it's not impossible for me to roll on, the table is mid-chest to me, I have to sit at the end of a table, I have to ask a few people to move so I can get through, I can fit and transfer in the restroom and wash my hands but the sink goes to my chest or chin - wheelchair users were considered for some things

Going beyond: there are at least 3-5 accessible parking spots not all next to each other and all on flat ground, the front entrance is flat and wide enough so I can get in easily without help, no carpet or short carpet so it's easier to roll on, I can sit anywhere at the table, the space between tables is wide enough I don't have to ask anyone to move, I can fit and transfer in the restroom and the sink is at my stomach to my breasts and I can easily just slide under it - this entire place feels like it was designed by a wheelchair user

Also, don't feel awful if your restaurant hasn't been fully wheelchair user accessible before now. I've yet to see a place with everything in "Going Beyond".

It's also IMPERATIVE to remember not every wheelchair user travels with an able-bodied and/or nondisabled person. A lot of places are wheelchair accessible*

*if you have an able-bodied or nondisabled person with you.

Wheelchair users deserve to be just as independent as able-bodied and nondisabled people.

Thank you for asking!! Let me know if I didn't fully answer your questions and/or you have any more!

[writing2changetheworld]

I am so tired of there being no representation in romcom movies.

I know of only one romcom starring a wheelchair user ("Christmas Ever After" starring Ali Stroker).

I don't know of any romcoms starring a wheelchair user in a same sex relationship.

I don't know of ANY romcoms starring at least one deaf person.

If you know of any more or any at all, please let me know!

[writing2changetheworld]

In the 4th/currently most recent episode of "Spud Hut" from Smosh (and the 3rd) the line "when your legs don't work like they used to" from the song 'Thinking Out Loud' by Ed Sheeran was quoted by Amanda's character.

I hate that line. But also, the way Amanda talked about it in the third episode was ableist. And it being in the fourth is not okay.

Ableism is not romantic!! Don't fall in love with ableism!

[writing2changetheworld]

Smosh Reading Reddit Stories (June 14, 2025) Number 2

Talk of the word "crippling" and different versions of it

During another story, it said the word "crippling" and Shayne [Topp] read it aloud. My problem with this is twofold.

1.) Someone or multiple people left that word be and let Shayne fully say it. When will anyone with power at Smosh learn that word is not okay to say?

2.) This is at least the second time Shayne has read that word aloud (and off of something he was given). When will he learn that word isn't okay to say?

That word has been used negatively against disabled people basically forever. Even to this day it's used to invalidate people. It's also used to say someone is put at a disadvantage by something. Which also paints being disabled in a negative light because that word is synonymous with physical disability and saying being physically disabled is automatically a bad thing and/or puts someone at a disadvantage is ableist.

Also, I've been told "crippling" isn't ableist but "crip", "cripple", and "crippled" are.

They're all different words, but so are "synonym" and "synonymous". They're technically different words, sure. But it's more so the tense/the wording of the sentence(s) they're in. Basically the same word.

[writing2changetheworld]

"Gordon Ramsay's Secret Service"

While I greatly misjudged this show at first (I saw the trailer some months ago and thought it looked ridiculous - I don't think that now), I obviously wasn't completely wrong.

When renovating the restaurants (and honestly talking about them before), wheelchair user accessibility - accessibility in general - is not brought up. Even when the founder and/or owner is physically disabled (which has already been shown). (I say "wheelchair user accessibility" instead of "wheelchair accessibility" because we're not wheelchairs. We're human beings who just happen to use wheelchairs to get around places.)

We go to restaurants. We eat. We deserve a pleasant experience as much as able-bodied and nondisabled diners. We deserve to be able to move around the restaurant and sit wherever without trouble.

I was talking to my therapist about the show recently and they said something I want to highlight. They said that we live in a world very centered on self. Meaning that if we aren't affected by something personally, most likely we won't care or we won't see it as a problem.

In America, (I'm not sure about other places) the ADA [Americans with Disabilities Act] makes it so government funded buildings have to have an accessible entrance. My therapist brought up a great point: what about a building's interior? Great the entrance is accessible (but also isn't sometimes) but is the inside? Talking about Gordon Ramsay and restaurants: do I have room to freely move? Can I choose where I sit or will I be forced to sit at the end of the table (which I may not be able to and is always away from conversation)?

As a non-ambulatory wheelchair user I would feel incredibly uncomfortable trying to eat in multiple of those restaurants

I also have a huge problem with the (lack of) representation in this show so far.

I have yet to see a single wheelchair user in any episode(s). (Please let me know if I missed them and where!) I do not believe their isn't a single wheelchair user going to any of these restaurants. If there isn't, these restaurants have another issue (inaccessibility). (Which, again, isn't even mentioned once so far.)

The one physically disabled customer I've seen (episode 3 "Mrs. White's Golden Rule Café") was out of focus coming into the restaurant with their mobility aid. Then they're shown in focus inside the restaurant but their mobility aid was not shown.

I know Gordon is not a wheelchair user and doesn't publicly use any other mobility aid himself, but that's not an excuse to not talk to many different people and learn about accessibility and the importance of it. That's not excuse to not talk about accessibility and the importance of it.