Taking a Stroll with Sunaura Taylor + Judith Butler

       Something I often overlook in my life is how the world caters to my body. Like Tatum said, it is generally these identities that we overlook, are the ones that we need to reflect upon the most. This video  really made me think about why I do not think of this identity as much as well as how I can be an ally to those that live in a world that does not address their basic needs. 

    There was a point in the video where Judith asked the question of "Do we live in a world where we help each other with basic needs?" . Is it not that we all need help at some point in our lives. Whether that be a cooked meal from mom or having the door held open when our hands are full. Why is it so difficult then for those with diverse abilities to get help for their basic needs. Judith again poses a question that beautifully confront this issue. She asks "Are basic needs there to be decided on  as a social issue and not just my individual issue or your personal issue?". To answer that, it is a basic need, it should be built upon what that need is to you. I do not have the same needs as everyone else so why is our world built upon this ideal that we there is this one size fits all model of what the basic needs are for everyone. Unfortunately the world is not built for all ability levels. Some people benefit from it more than others. These people are often coined as being "able-bodied" which comes with the assumption that those with diverse abilities can't use their bodies as well. I have noticed that this topic of disabilities is not talked about often as other oppressive identities. I think it is easier to ignore as those with diverse abilities often are not included into society, don't get the same job opportunities and do not have access to the world because it was built for a specific set of people. When it comes to advocacy, there is a sense of feeling sorry and need of having to bring up the population of people with diverse abilities rather than how we can bring the world up to fit everyone's basic needs. Accessibility should be built in, not an add-on. This is probably the identity that gives me the most privilege in my life yet I have not been as active in fighting against ableism. Why was that?

    I was very active growing up, doing sports and manual labor jobs. I was surrounded by a world where everyone around me, at least to which I knew of, lived in a world that covered their basic needs. I mean society does a great job a making people with disabilities invisible. I have to take some accountability here though because whenever I came across a person with a disability, I felt uncomfortable, not wanting to offend with what I said or what I did. I avoided confrontations that would make me maybe look like an offensive person because that was not my intention. This was contributing to ableism. After having conversations with people with diverse abilities I realized that it is not their bodies or diagnosis that really disable them but rather society. It is additionally important to note though also that intersectionality also plays a role here too. The experience of being black, a women, and having a disability will definitely be different than a white man with a disability. Ableism is something that is often overlooked and like racism and other social issues, needs active anti-ableism to eradicate. Awareness and advocacy are key to acknowledging and normalizing our differences. 

P.S. Here is some research on Black-White Differences in Self-Reported Disability Outcomes in the U.S.: Early Childhood to Older Adulthood. ALL black lives matter.