Why Fighting for Disability Rights Is So Important

Disability rights. What is it?

The disability rights movement is a global social movement to ensure equal opportunities and rights to all people with all disabilities. This has rightly spread to include people with a visible difference and those with invisible chronic illness.

It’s about equality. Accessibility. Ridding the world of discrimination and ableist slurs. Disabled people can still be paid below minimum wage. We have unequal access to education. Disabled and chronically ill people are being discriminated against by our own doctors, friends, people. We don’t have equal marriage rights. We have a high unemployment rate, and one of the highest suicide rates in the world. We experience inaccessibility to simple buildings such as hospitals, stores, voting stations, public restrooms, parks, outdoor centers, and more. We struggle to navigate unfair disability benefit systems.

This. Is. Wrong.

How can we change?

We need accessibility. We need understanding. We need equal opportunities, rights and lives.

Call out inaccessible buildings and businesses. Call out that friend for using an ableist slur. Educate yourself on disability discrimination. Support the people already dealing with this, not just for when you become affected. Support your disabled and/or chronically ill friends. Listen to their story, spread their message. Tackle disability discrimination. Recognize your abled and health privilege. Sign petitions. Talk. Do your part to rid the world of the stigma that we are useless and below society.

We want equality.