Disability and Representation

Changing the Cultural Conversation

How to Leave Disability Rights Out of Your Political Analysis

political analysis

[The graphic is a Bingo card with 25 squares.

Title: How to Leave Disability Rights Out of Your Political Analysis

Top row:To be fully inclusive, feminists need to start dealing with race, class, and LGBT rights.
They attacked the man in the wheelchair only because of his race.
You'd have to be crazy to think that disability had anything to do with it.
Oh, God. She's talking about disability AGAIN.
Disability? You mean sick and handicapped people?

Second row: We all have to be strong and independent.
The fight for LGBT rights is the last remaining civil rights struggle.
When I think about my privilege as a white male, I feel paralyzed.
When you ask, “Does this class on critical theory include disability?” what do you mean, exactly?
It's different. We're allowed to devalue your body.

Third row: GOP voters are blind/deaf/mentally ill/retarded/brain-dead.
Disability is a medical issue.
Free Space: Disability. Eww.
No, our forum on Diversity and Culture is not accessible.
It's not like Deaf culture is really a culture.

Fourth row: If there are any special needs people in this class on critical theory...
Intersectionality means looking at how race, class, gender identity, and sexual orientation work together.
Are you nuts? You want us to include disability in our diversity curriculum?
Etc. Etc. Etc.
We'll get to disability when we've dismantled the patriarchy.

Last row: We're not talking about disability right now.
Stop distracting us from the critical issues.
Disability rights?
Didn't we settle that with the ADA?
I fail to see how glorifying pain and suffering helps anyone.

The text below the graphic reads www.facebook.com/DisabilityAndRepresentation.]

© 2013 by Rachel Cohen-Rottenberg

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    2 comments already | Leave your own comment

  1. 7/28/2013 | 7:23 am Permalink

    BINGO! My favorite: “Stop distracting us from the critical issues” (B5 on my card…)
    What’s the prize??

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  2. 7/29/2013 | 9:15 pm Permalink

    This is the best thing ever. Thankyou.

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