Tuesday 6 August 2013

Label-ism

Link being passed around on twitter to this article. It's all about how some people re-designed the  static 'disabled' symbol used in parking bays, etc, so that it looked like this instead:



The claim is made that it changes the perception of the disabled.

Indeed it does.  It changes it even further towards a perception that all 'proper' disabled are self-propelling potential athletes. Screw those lazy buggers who use powerchairs, eh? And those who don't use a wheelchair at all.

Frankly, there is already too much of the massively-misguided 'hey, how come you aren't all disabled Olympians?' around. We even, rather soul-crushingly, see some disabled people claiming to be 'the true disabled' as compared to the chronically ill. (Articles here and here  - the latter out today and literally breath-taking in its spite and stupidity.)

Wanted to like it, understand that it was very well meant, but can't.  Perhaps they could design another symbol to include those who cannot self-propel, and use both? Not only the self-propelled disabled are... well...disabled.