A woman with a disability blogs on Feministing Community (www.community.feministing.com ) about whether she can be considered an activist feminist when she has too little energy to take part in "things like community organizing, participating in marches and rallies, or volunteering at organizations you think help the community." She wonders whether "most people see writing letters and whatnot as perfectly adequate activism". If they don’t she suggests that “there may be some kind of ableist bias in that preference”.
Read this thoughtful item and see how her readers, with and without disabilities, responded to her question.
"Activism and Ableism" - http://community.feministing.com/2009/08/activism-and-ableism.html
What do you think an activist does? Click on "comments" below to tell us your thoughts.
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It is also an issue of economics if you ask me. Not everyone can afford to take the time out to particpate in rallies and protest.
ReplyDeleteI realize it can be an economic issue, but every spare cent I have goes to activism. This means I don't have a lot of money for extras, but that's okay and my choice.
ReplyDeleteThis issue is very interesting. I have had a disability since childhood, but over the past few years, it has advanced so I cannot do as much as I did previously. I have become a wheelchair user, and I am constantly contending with the issues of wheelchair access. There are the issues of energy, time and money, mentioned by other posters, but there is also the fact that very few progressive movement/ event organizers make accessibility a priority. When I do decide to try and attend a meeting or event, a great deal of energy has to go into finding out if it is accessible, and then dealing with the organizers if it is not. That may also be the situation for people who need other kinds of disability related access or interpretation.
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