Today is the day after the international day of the disabled. This is the real day, one with sequestration, fear, insufficient access to jobs and health care, police violence, poor educational opportunities, inaccessible transportation, ableism in the customary business of business.
Yesterday I saw a slew of articles, several of them by non-disabled people talking about the “conditions’ of disablement. They were terrific. But in at least one instance I saw something from a professor who has no track record of actually helping to hire the disabled–the person in question “dines out” on disability as the British would say when someone has a good story to tell and gets invited to high table just to tell it.
In fact, thinking of professors, there are too few disabled faculty in the ranks in higher education. If you look at the scattering of disability studies programs around the United States you won’t see many disabled faculty on staff. That’s because within the Ivory Tower it remains convenient to talk about us but not include us.
This is the day after the day.
Are you a non-disabled person who dines out on disability?
Do you teach about disability but don’t push for the hiring of disabled faculty and staff?
This is the day after the day.
What will you be doing today?
Planet of the Blind 