Unfortunate Assumptions and Community Inclusion

It's about another DD (CP), but the story British man with CP denied pub entry because bouncers mistook his disability for drunkenness hit me pretty hard in the "Ow, unfortunately I relate to this from an autism perspective" sort of way.

The topic of assumptions made by people unfamiliar with disability is all too familiar to me. Not making eye contact means shifty or dishonest. Not saying hello means unfriendly or hostile. Not speaking means shy. Or maybe unfeeling. Or even mean. Speaking poorly means stupid. Or deliberately difficult. Or, yeah, most likely, on drugs. Fidgeting means annoyed, not paying attention, disrespectful. Or on drugs. and on and on.

In her article on disability awareness, Valerie Brew-Parrish recommends, "Awareness Days can be beneficial if it they are done properly; it is important for the public to meet with persons with disabilities and to interact with us."

If awareness was of the sort Brew-Parrish recommends, perhaps the non-disabled public would have better tools for behaving appropriately when interacting with us. Perhaps instead of assuming drunkenness, the doorman at the bar would have checked his assumption and asked--is this person drunk or might they have a movement-related disability? Perhaps the coworkers in Senge's story would have checked their assumptions and asked, does Laura really "not care much about people" or might she have a speech, hearing, or other communication disability? If the public had more exposure to autistic people, perhaps they would put the rather obvious pieces together when they met me instead of assuming (and acting like!) I'm on drugs.

While they provide a necessary piece, community inclusion isn't going to happen just by making some anti-discrimination laws and providing some support staff. Those solutions need to be integrated with education and breaking down assumptions, fears, and misconceptions on the part of the non-disabled public.

It doesn't matter our Dx, all people with disabilities share some of the same problems. And, hopefully also, some of the same solutions.